While this report provides a detailed analysis of the US border construct and its postmodern political challenges, in substance it tells a story of simplistic responses to complexity. Rather than just being a tale of a particularly complex homeland or national security context, that story is an exemplar for countries from Europe to Asia of the evolution of border security. For the most part, US border security remains an operational activity, focused on creating a physical control barrier: a geographical barrier between a nation and those who might do it ill. The physical barrier is selectively permeable, based on at best flawed risk assumptions, at worst on xenophobic judgements. The border of the future is a strategically managed continuum in which disruption capabilities are focused by concise intelligence-based risk assessments. This doesn't mean that all of the existing operational activities and border control measures are redundant, but that simplistic border processes are no longer sufficient in the face of amorphous threats. Neither a regulatory nor a literal wall will provide border security if it isn't integrated with a number of other mechanisms and measures. Put simply, US border security is a story of complexity, but the answer to complexity is not strategic or operational isolationism. Rather, it is strategically managing borders through a focus on disrupting threats while facilitating trade. One theme that was missing throughout the field phase of this assessment was discussion of balancing the facilitation and security roles in US border security. In the few times that this issue's addressed, it's in the context of 'selective permeability'.