Weaponized borders: A contrapuntal analysis of uneven humanitarian aid and comparative landscapes

Author

• Alex Orla-BukowskiFollow

Graduation Date

Summer 2026

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Master of Arts degree with a major in Social Science, Environment and Community

Committee Chair Name

Dr. Tani Sebro

Committee Chair Affiliation

Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff

Second Committee Member Name

Dr. Cinthya Ammerman Muñoz

Second Committee Member Affiliation

Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff

Third Committee Member Name

Adam Orla-Bukowski

Third Committee Member Affiliation

Community Member or Outside Professional

Keywords

Borders, Humanitarian aid, Migration, State violence

Subject Categories

Environment and Community

Abstract

The proliferation of global border regimes has caused an increased level of state violence against humans and the environment. In this thesis I explore how contemporary border regimes propagate myths on human mobility, obstruct humanitarian policy, and weaponize environmental landscapes to sustain state violence while obscuring political responsibility. Building on this, I argue that borders are the source of violence and create systems of vulnerability as a core-function of state making. My research primarily utilizes semi-structured interviews with humanitarian actors and secondary data analysis to trace the testimonies of those subject to state-based harm and explore the gaps in aid left by the state. I employ a comparative analysis to show patterns of violence/exclusion focusing on geographical areas of Poland's eastern border and the U.S.-Mexico border. By contrasting the disproportionate responses at the Poland-Belarus border and the Poland-Ukraine border, I highlight the differences in material aid and bureaucratic pathways for refugees and asylum seekers. Centering the lived experiences of those subject to this harm and the bottom-up resistances is useful to contest the state-centric conceptualizations that are foundational to borders and border security.

Citation Style

Chicago

Recommended Citation

Orla-Bukowski, Alex, "Weaponized borders: A contrapuntal analysis of uneven humanitarian aid and comparative landscapes" (2026). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2611.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2611