Strategic Technology Development Can Help Secure U.S. Border

The House Subcommittee on Research and Technology and the House Subcommittee on Oversight today held a joint hearing on the technologies needed to better secure our nation’s borders.

Technology is a key component to securing our 2,000 mile Southern border. Customs and Border Protection and National Guard troops cannot be everywhere. Sensors deployed along the border can detect and track the “coyotes” who smuggle children—as well as illegal drugs and firearms—across the border. We need to get this technology in the hands of our immigration officers. Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security has a poor track record when it comes to developing and fielding sensors and tactical communications infrastructure along the Southwest border.

In 2002, the Homeland Security Act established the Directorate for Science and Technology (S&T) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The S&T Directorate manages and carries out science and technology research for our federal homeland security needs. It is responsible for developing new technologies that can help secure our nation’s border.