In this third edition of Border Games, Peter Andreas charts the rise and transformation in policing the flow of drugs and migrants across the US-Mexico border. Recent border crackdowns and wall-building campaigns, he argues, are not unprecedented. Rather, they are the outcome of an escalatory dynamic already in motion—but now played out on a far bigger stage, with higher stakes, and in new security and political contexts.

Focusing on the power of symbolic politics and policy feedback effects, Andreas traces the logic behind such buildup. Border policing is an attractive political mechanism for handling the often unintended consequences of past policy choices, signaling a commitment to territorial integrity and projecting an image of territorial authority. Yet its negative aftermath is not only frequently glossed over; it also fuels further escalation. With new chapters on the border policies of the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, Border Games continues to help readers grasp how the busiest border in the world is also one of the most fortified, and why it plays such a complicated and contentious role in both domestic politics and US-Mexico relations.

Peter Andreas is John Hay Professor of International Studies and Political Science at Brown University.

This outstanding book is a much-needed addition to the literature on the policing of international boundaries. Because it is so well written and concise, it fits beautifully into political geography curricula at the undergraduate as well as at the graduate level.

Andreas's insightful and rigorous study is an important contribution to the literature on globalization and transnational illicit trade.

An engaging and readable book. This slim volume is recommended for all levels.

Jason De León, author of The Land of Open Graves:

There is no other book like Border Games, a seminal text that so succinctly and thoroughly explains the hyper-militarization and hypocrisy happening at America's southern geopolitical boundary. A must -read for those who want to understand the origins of U.S. border enforcement strategies that have led to the deaths of thousands of migrants since the 1990's.

Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University:

Since 2000, Border Games has been an indispensable guide to understanding the ever-changing drama of circumstances along the Mexico-US border. The third edition updates our understanding through the Trump years to explain yet again why border policies that are manifestly dysfunctional and unsuccessful in achieving their stated aims continue to be pursued because they are so politically expedient to politicians on both sides of the isle, despite the rising cost in lives and treasure.

Wendy Brown, Institute for Advanced Study, author of Walled States, Waning Sovereignty:

Two decades ago, Border Games exposed border fortification politics as expensive political theater. The new edition explains how punitive, cruel, costly, and duplicitous this long-running show has become. Deeply researched, eminently readable, and pragmatic, Andreas's work continues to be the best primer we have on US border politics.

Beth Simmons, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School:

As a seasoned scholar, observer, and border-crosser, Peter Andreas explains why border policing has intensified over the past thirty years. Americans should read this book to understand how border security—which was once nearly invisible—has come to drive national policies and perceptions in increasingly dangerous and divisive ways.