The Border Patrol is facing a large-scale outage of security cameras at the southern border with a memo reportedly warning it is having “significant impacts” on operations in apprehending migrants, although officials note there are other layers of security in place as well.
NBC News reported that an October memo said nearly one-third of cameras, roughly 150 of 500 cameras on surveillance towers, were out due to technical issues.
“The nationwide issue is having significant impacts on [Border Patrol] operations,” the memo said.
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The Remote Video Surveillance Systems are nearly 15 years old and are used to monitor areas of the border without the need for regular on the ground patrols. Agents will rely on a variety of detection and surveillance, including AI-powered towers, helicopters, K-9s, the border wall and the agents themselves.
A Border Patrol vehicle sits near the border walls separating Tijuana, Mexico, from the United States, June 4, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
In response to a Fox News Digital query on the report, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it uses a multilayered approach that includes various technological advantages to enhance capabilities.
“While older technology like the Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS) have been helpful operational tools for more than 15 years, they require significant maintenance and upgrades as they pass the end of their planned lifecycle. As systems go down, CBP works to resolve the issue by refreshing systems with new camera optics or replaces them entirely with a combination of mobile tower systems, aerial platforms, relocatable tower systems, and fixed observation posts to provide coverage in critical areas,” a spokesperson said.
Agents have noted the helpfulness of Automated Surveillance Towers, which are more advanced and use AI to track migrants and help agents locate them. CBP has deployed more than 300 of those towers.
Officials say that RVSS is an old, costly system requiring regular maintenance and dedicated staff to monitor the cameras. That is opposed to the newer systems that use AI and provide alerts to agents in real time.
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“CBP continues to install newer, more advanced technology that embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace outdated systems, reducing the need to have agents working non-interdiction functions within a local command center.”
However, the National Border Patrol Council’s branch in Laredo, Texas, recently highlighted the issues and told agents that it “shares your concerns that inoperable camera towers along the border are causing serious Officer Safety and Border Security concerns.”
“We hope this issue is resolved soon, as the problem has been ongoing for quite some time!” they said in a Facebook post. “The American Taxpayer has made significant investments in technology along the border, and they expect that this technology is operational.”
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The report comes as border security remains a top issue ahead of the 2024 election. Both presidential candidates, Republican former President Trump and Democrat Vice President Harris, have pledged to provide more funding to the border and have been attempting to show voters that they are the stronger candidate for securing the border.
Polls show that Trump is generally the more trusted candidate on the issue among voters.