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Saturday, December 14, 2024

Lawmakers Want More Agents, Better Technology at Border Crossings

What will it take to stop drugs and criminals from coming across America’s borders? Better technology and more agents, say two members of a House subcommittee who came to the border Monday pitching high-tech inspections of all private cars and commercial trucks at land ports of entry.

The Securing America’s Ports Act calls on the Department of Homeland Security to develop a budget and a timetable to implement non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems at border crossings and to carry out a one-year pilot program. Right now, CBP agents scan only 15 percent of the truck traffic and only 1 percent of the cars coming across the border. The rest are only subject to visual or physical inspections.

Bill cosponsors Xochitl Torres-Small, D-New Mexico, and Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said Congress earlier this year approved $579 million for NII technology, some of which is already being spent on a pilot program in South Texas. More of that money should be spent once the program’s results are analyzed.

Read more at Fox 2

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Homeland Security Today
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The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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