[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Argument An expert’s point of view on a current event. NATO Can Help Tackle the U.S. Border Crisis A shared security challenge is a chance for the alliance to shine. By Kathleen J. McInnis , a senior fellow in the International Security Program and the director of the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A group of about a dozen people carrying bags walk around in a dusty clearing in front of a tall fence in the background. One tall shines over them against a dark night sky. Migrants walk after crossing the Rio Bravo, seen from the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border in Ciudad Juarez on March 29, 2023. Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images) My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In NATO United States February 13, 2025, 2:49 PM Comment icon View Comments ( 3 ) During his recent meeting with the Ukraine Contact Group , Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that “stark strategic realities” now prevent the United States from focusing “primarily” on Europe. What this will mean in practice is unclear; it could portend a withdrawal of troops or capabilities from Europe, or it could mean a withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance altogether. Keeping the United States engaged in NATO, albeit in a limited fashion, seems to be the most optimal scenario moving forward. But even that scenario may be hard to achieve given long-standing U.S. frustrations over insufficient European defense spending . The major strategic question for European capitals is this: How might Washington be convinced that NATO remains a good deal for U.S. security? During his recent meeting with the Ukraine Contact Group , Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that “stark strategic realities” now prevent the United States from focusing “primarily” on Europe. What this will mean in practice is unclear; it could portend a withdrawal of troops or capabilities from Europe, or it could mean a withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance altogether. Keeping the United States engaged in NATO, albeit in a limited fashion, seems to be the most optimal scenario moving forward. But even that scenario may be hard to achieve given long-standing U.S. frustrations over insufficient European defense spending . The major strategic question for European capitals is this: How might Washington be convinced that NATO remains a good deal for U.S. security? Trending Articles The Coming Golden Age of Crime Artificial intelligence and other technologies are turbocharging cartels, mafias, and other illicit networks. Powered By Advertisement The Coming Golden Age of Crime X Solving the U.S. border crisis is a priority for an overwhelming plurality of American voters – and the Trump Administration. Frustration over illegal immigration has been simmering for years . As European capitals well know, irregular migration is one of the most difficult challenges in contemporary statecraft. The United States needs insights and capabilities from other countries that have experienced similar challenges. Fortunately, NATO can serve as a forum for exactly such exchanges and action. This requires a mindset shift. For the duration of its existence, NATO’s strategic orientation has primarily been toward Europe. This made sense: Europe was the terrain where a clash with the Soviet Union would likely take place. As the logic—called “ defense in depth ”—went, it was better for Washington to support its allies in a war in Europe than it was have a war take place in the United States. There was a significant interlude during the war in Afghanistan—for 20-plus years, allies committed their troops there to, among other things, show their steadfast support for the United States after the horrendous Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But the time of by Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, it was clear that Russia once again had its designs on dismantling NATO and reconstructing its empire . The primary focus of the alliance has subsequently been on deterring and defending against Russian aggression in Europe. Yet organizations such as NATO are robust enough to be able to take on more than one issue at a time. NATO’s challenges are no longer confined to the European continent; trans-Atlantic security, and the actions that underpin it, go both ways. Washington’s frustrations with European unwillingness to meet the alliance’s defense spending targets are caused, at least in part, by a sense that the United States is more invested in the security of Europe than its allies. Why not flip the script and find ways for the alliance to contribute more to North American security? What can NATO do? Over the years, observers have suggested a number of ways that NATO can be useful for contending with the border crises. Firstly, it can share lessons learned from allies’ own experiences with instrumentalized migration . On NATO’s eastern flank, for example, allies such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland have had to contend with Belarus and Russia intentionally sending migrants across their borders to fuel political instability. On NATO’s southern flank, in 2021, Spain had to contend with Morocco’s enabling of 8,000 migrants , mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, to enter into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta following a political spat. Ongoing seaborne migration, principally from Africa, has challenged European states for years, and they have developed responses—including establishing an entire agency (the European Border and Coast Guard )—to cope. Why not create, under the North Atlantic Council, a committee to compare perspectives, strategies, and cooperation for dealing with overwhelming irregular and instrumentalized migration? In terms of monitoring capabilities, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reportedly operates somewhere in the vicinity of 10 unarmed Predator-class surveillance drones to cover roughly 6,000 miles of land border and 95,000 miles of shoreline. Read More U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at a press conference at the annual NATO Summit on July 12, 2018 in Brussels. A New NATO Deal for America Here is how Europe can meet the Trump administration’s expectations on defense. Argument | Hans Binnendijk , Alexander Vershbow This is a capability shortfall that allies may be able to step in and ameliorate on a bilateral basis. Europe has used surveillance drones to detect and monitor migration for years. Much like it has with other multilateral responses to complex challenges such as coordinating assistance to Ukraine or commanding and controlling military coalition operations, NATO can play a role in communicating tactical requirements and coordinating allied assistance. Finally, just as NATO engages in dialogues with Middle Eastern and North African countries, the alliance might also consider building dialogues with Latin American and Caribbean countries. In any theater, migration—legal or otherwise—is often prompted by humanitarian disasters and instability. European partners could usefully contribute their outside perspective and hard-won experiences to bring fresh ideas to discussions on contending with border challenges. Sign up for Editors’ Picks A curated selection of FP’s must-read stories. Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time. Enter your email Sign Up ✓ Signed Up You’re on the list! More ways to stay updated on global news: FP Live Enter your email Sign Up ✓ Signed Up World Brief Enter your email Sign Up ✓ Signed Up China Brief Enter your email Sign Up ✓ Signed Up South Asia Brief Enter your email Sign Up ✓ Signed Up Situation Report Enter your email Sign Up ✓ Signed Up View All Newsletters Indeed, the conditions of instability that help drive illegal migration are likely to become even worse in the coming years as countries around the globe contend with ecological shifts and governance challenges. Dialogue with the Central and Latin American region could prove useful for exchanging ideas on how different nations’ militaries can support government activities that help prevent migration crises in the first place, such as humanitarian response operations and security capacity-building. It is time for the alliance to reimagine what it means to underpin the security of the North Atlantic area. Washington is focused on securing its borders, a challenge that its allies across the pond have also struggled with. If NATO is to remain the world’s premier multilateral military alliance, then it must find ways to help its member states address their key—and common—security challenges. After all, we’re all in this together. Kathleen J. McInnis is a senior fellow in the International Security Program and the director of the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read More On Donald Trump | Migration and Immigration | NATO | United States Join the Conversation Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Already a subscriber? Log In . Subscribe Subscribe View 3 Comments Join the Conversation Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now. Subscribe Subscribe Not your account? Log out View 3 Comments Join the Conversation Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs. You are commenting as . Change your username | Log out Change your username: Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm CANCEL Confirm your username to get started. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm
