The "One Big Beautiful Bill" that President Donald Trump signed last year is funding a "smart border wall" that enables the federal government to more efficiently crack down on illegal immigration and crimes at the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Rodney Scott said on Tuesday.
The post Exclusive – CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott: ‘Smart Border Wall’ and New Technologies, Resources Cutting Down on Criminal Activity appeared first on Breitbart.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” that President Donald Trump signed last year is funding a “smart border wall” that enables the federal government to more efficiently crack down on illegal immigration and crimes at the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Rodney Scott said on Tuesday.
Scott spoke about the Trump administration’s $46.5 billion investment in the “smart border wall” during a policy event in Washington, DC, with Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle.
“So the border itself: I think everybody knows we got like $46.5 billion to build a smart border wall. People hear the term ‘wall’ all the time. They forget we infused a bunch of technology into that so we can expand the areas that our agents are covering. We also got increased money for technology on the border itself,” Scott said.
“We’re rolling out autonomous towers. They have a bunch of AI [artificial intelligence] built in so that it reduces false responses. [Previously,] a sensor went off, [and] an agent would have to respond and figure out what it is. Now, through a bunch of AI, we have some different radar systems — it’s really improving the ability where agents can get right on their phone, they can see what the sensor was, they can decide if it’s some hiker, somebody out riding a horse, or if it’s actual criminal activity,” he continued. “So, it saves thousands and thousands of man-hours.”
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Scott said the funding is also going toward bolstering marine and air capabilities.
“In the air and the marine environment, we do have quite the ‘Air Force’ — everything from small light helicopters to go out and respond quickly, to now-agent-portable drones, if you will, where they take them out with them, and it’ll provide overwatch,” he explained. “But we also have the MQ-9s. Most people are used to that as more of like the predator, military-style, that have a very impressive surveillance package on those as well. Those can stay up long hours. We have fixed-wing down in Florida.”
“But, I want everybody to understand, this isn’t just CBP going out and buying a bunch of technology. All of our investments we coordinate across the DHS [U.S. Department of Homeland Security] with Coast Guard [USCG],” he said. “So we’re making sure we deconflict our deployment areas. We match up resources where we can so that we’re giving Americans the best return on that tax dollar that they can possibly get with the entire mission being: just know and control what comes into this country, consistent with law.”
Tuesday’s event included a discussion with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin about border security, public safety, and American sovereignty. The event was held in partnership with CGCN and ALFA Institute.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
