AI deployed for "virtual border wall"
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The U.S. government is building a "virtual wall" at the southern border by erecting hundreds of high-tech surveillance towers, including some with artificial intelligence.
Why it matters: A record-high number of people have entered the U.S. through the southern border this year, exacerbating U.S. Customs and Border Protection staffing shortages, reports Axios' Russell Contreras.
- But the new surveillance technology is giving rise to concerns over civil liberties, digital watchdogs say.
The big picture: Texas officials say Operation Lone Star has led to the apprehension of more than 488,500 migrants since 2021.
- Texas has spent $86.1 million to bus migrants and asylum-seekers out of state since April 2022.
Details: Although surveillance towers have been at the border for several years, the new, autonomous towers can better detect abnormal activity.
- The U.S. has installed about 300 types of surveillance towers from the California coast to the tip of Texas, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that monitors civil liberties in the digital world.
- Using public records, satellite imagery, road trips, and virtual reality, the nonprofit mapped the presence of surveillance towers along the border in remote and highly populated areas.
How they work: Autonomous surveillance towers contain 360-degree pan radars and sensors that can scan for miles.
- The towers are outfitted with AI software that distinguishes people from animals. Towers can be programmed to block off sections of surveillance areas, like homes on private ranches.
- Border Patrol personnel can use the images to deploy agents to the area where activity was detected.
- The solar-powered towers can be put up in just hours without drilling holes or requiring concrete, meaning they can be moved with ease.
What they're saying: "This is a perfect solution in terms of a way to protect the border. They are better than a wall or just having officers patrolling on horseback," Jorge Guajardo, a partner at Dentons Global Advisors, tells Axios.
Yes, but: It's unclear if the surveillance towers close to the border also monitor people in Mexico, Dave Maass, Electronic Frontier Foundation's director of investigations, tells Axios.
- It's also unknown if towers near cities are watching everyday citizens, he says.
What to watch: The U.S. will continue building more towers along the border, according to Border Patrol officials.