The color green is sacred in Islam, which is why an emerald made such an ideal surface on which to inscribe a religious text. The gem itself is believed to have been mined in Colombia, home to the most spectacular green emeralds in the world.
Securing and Managing Our Borders. Protecting the nation's bordersâland, air, and seaâfrom the illegal entry of people, weapons, drugs, and contraband is vital to our homeland security, as well as economic prosperity. Over the past several years, DHS has deployed unprecedented levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border.
Just as our houses have doors and locks, so do borders call forth garrisons, customs officials, and, now and then, big walls. They give us divided feelings because we do not like to admit we need them. Now as the United States debates fortifying its border with Mexico, walls have a new vogue. At various spots along the dusty, 1,952-mile (3,141 kilometers) boundary, fences, walls, and vehicle barriers have been constructed since the 1990s to slow the surge in illegal immigration.