Representatives Crenshaw and Torres Small Call on CBP to Increase Technology at Southern Border
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Crenshaw and Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02) sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan on the importance of expeditiously acquiring and deploying new border security technology along the southern border.
Crenshaw and Torres Small are Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability (OMA), respectively.
“We may disagree on how to secure our border, but there is no question we agree upon the importance of non-intrusive inspection technology at ports-of-entry,” Crenshaw said. “This is a crucial tool in Customs and Border Protection’s arsenal to identify human and drug traffickers violating our laws. We must ensure this tool is utilized as efficiently as possible, especially as CBP faces impossible circumstances.”
“Every day, thousands of trucks and cars pass through our ports of entry but due to staffing shortages and inefficient technology, only a small percentage of vehicles are scanned by non-intrusive inspection technology (NII) for illicit drugs, contraband, and human trafficking,” Torres Small said. “By investing in smarter and more efficient technology at our ports of entry, such NII, we are both enhancing the safety of communities across the U.S. and growing our economy through increased flows of legitimate trade. I thank Congressman Crenshaw for his partnership on this issue.“
The full text of the letter is available here.
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