Almost 3 in 10 Surveillance Cameras at the Southern Border Don't Work, Report Shows

About 3 in 10 cameras part of Border Patrol's main surveillance system along the southern U.S. border are not working, making it more difficult for border agents to address crossings between ports of entry, according to a new report.

The memo, distributed to agents in early October and initially reported by NBC News, states that roughly 150 out of 500 cameras mounted on surveillance towers are not operational due to "several technical problems." Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that outdated equipment and unresolved repair issues contribute to the large-scale outage.

Since their implementation in 2011, these Remote Video Surveillance Systems have been vital for monitoring extensive areas without deploying hundreds of agents in vehicles. However, the memo does not specify when the cameras ceased to function. While some repairs have been conducted this month, more than 150 repair requests remain outstanding.

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that the agency has installed approximately 300 new surveillance towers featuring advanced technology. "CBP continues to install newer, more advanced technology that embraces artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace outdated systems, reducing the need to have agents working non-interdiction functions," the spokesperson said.

Concerns about the broken cameras were echoed by the Border Patrol union in Laredo, Texas. The union expressed its worries over how inoperable camera towers pose serious risks to officer safety and border security. "We hope this issue is resolved soon as the problem has been ongoing for quite some time!" the union remarked, highlighting that significant taxpayer investments have been made in border technology, which should be functional.

The memo attributes the camera issues to another federal agency, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Responsible for servicing and repairing the camera systems, the FAA has faced internal challenges in meeting the Border Patrol's needs, though the memo does not elaborate on these issues.

Additionally, Border Patrol leaders are contemplating replacing the FAA with a contractor capable of providing adequate technical support for the surveillance systems. One Customs and Border Protection official mentioned that this ongoing issue has not been effectively managed for the past 20 years.

An FAA spokesperson declined to comment on the situation. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has regularly requested increased funding from Congress to restore surveillance systems along the border. However, House Republicans blocked a bipartisan bill this year that would have enhanced surveillance capabilities, added more Border Patrol agents, and resumed construction of the border wall. Trump, who spearheaded the blocking of the bill, said during the weekend that he will increase the amount of agents and give them a raise if he wins the elections. He was also endorsed by the Border Patrol union.