Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would strengthen U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) ability to combat human and drug trafficking at the southern border.
The Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act would make permanent Innovation Teams, a division within CBP that was created in 2018 to implement new technologies. The bill would authorize the CBP commissioner to maintain at least one CBP Innovation Team to research and adapt commercial technologies that assist in border security operations and urgent mission needs.
The bill also would require CBP Innovation Teams to create standard operating procedures.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be required to submit to Congress a plan that assesses the performance parameters and security impacts of potential technologies. The report also should include the deactivation of former CBP technology.
DHS would be required to submit to Congress information that describes CBP Innovation Team activities and operating procedures.
U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the bill.
“Let’s secure the border forever by using new technology,” Cassidy said. “Let’s stop fentanyl from flowing into our country.”
U.S. Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.