2009 is finally over and 2010 has officially begun. What will this New Year hold for us? Will it be better than last year? Will our fears of terrorism continue to prevent immigration reform, even if the economy begins to mend?

Let’s see. Christmas day 2009 ended with a bang: another attempted airplane terrorist attack which was fortunately aborted not by our security systems but rather by laypeople, fellow airplane passengers who were more observant than the security of a multitude of nations and international anti-terrorist agencies, including our very own CIA, which ignored warnings of this risk. There’s an old folk song called “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” which contains the lyrics “When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?” and that line holds true for our international security procedures and protocols. We need standardized, well-thought out and well executed security procedures at every airport and border in all countries if we are to ever even attempt to prevent another 9/11 from happening anywhere in the world and we, in 2009 and now in 2010, are so very far from achieving that goal.

I witnessed this urgent need for uniform security reform during the Christmas holiday. On December 25th I watched, from a hotel room in Santiago, Chile, as the Christmas day terrorist attempt unfolded. Several days later I boarded an Argentinean plane from Bariloche, Argentina to Buenos Aires, expecting (and hoping) that the international world would have listened to the wake up call and recognized the obvious: international security screening begins at home. Inarguably, Bariloche is a small airport, usually filled with tourists rather than business travelers. However, given the Christmas scare, I expected to have my suitcases and those of my family members thoroughly searched, especially any and all liquids.  As I watched the Argentinean security go through bottles of pills and liquid medicines belonging to a normal looking, middle aged Argentinean male, I told my husband to start getting all of his bottles of similar looking medicines ready since he was surely next. Instead, no security check was done; his bags passed through the machines without a hitch. My filled water bottle, purchased outside of the airport, sailed through security with equal ease, making me feel the opposite: uneasy.

Still, hope springs eternal and I was thus encouraged several days later when I boarded American Airlines from Buenos Aires, headed to Miami. To my great comfort, every passenger was patted down at least once. However, when I asked whether my shoes should be removed, I was met with blank and startled stares.

Let me be clear: I am willing to put up with any additional security measures, any additional delay if it translates into safety. I say this not only as a frequent (but reluctant) air traveler but also as a U.S. citizen and an immigration attorney. I know and realize that if there is any expectation for immigration reform in the coming year, not only must our U.S. economy improve but also our sense of feeling safe within our borders. For this to occur, our own short-staffed governmental agencies must somehow be able to sift through the hundreds of thousands of false alarms they receive and weed out the real threats. In addition, our global community, at both airports and border points alike, must work together to screen anyone who enters our collective countries or leaves to enter another. In the year 2010 one country, one airport, one security checkpoint, can no longer simply pass the buck to another, for international security truly begins at home.