Officials eager to get advanced technologies at borders

Advanced technologies would help law enforcement agencies combat illegal immigration, drug smuggling and potential terrorists from entering America along the nation's borders, senators and Homeland Security Department officials agreed Thursday.

"Without better technology, there is just no possible way to secure our borders," Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said during a hearing of his panel. McCain also repeatedly called for comprehensive immigration reform to help law enforcement officials combat the estimated 1 million people who enter the country illegally every year.

Sen. Jon Kyl and Rep. Jim Kolbe, fellow Arizona Republicans who testified at the hearing, agreed with the chairman's comments. "We cannot assure our citizens today that our borders are secure," said Kolbe, adding that the country needs "good law enforcement combined with comprehensive immigration reform."

And quality law enforcement depends upon technology, added Asa Hutchinson and Charles McQueary, officials at Homeland Security. "Technology is key to our efforts," said Hutchinson, who oversees border and transportation security at the department.

McQueary told reporters after the hearing that his science and technology division is testing new countermeasures before deploying the devices along all the nation's borders. He said it is crucial to test devices in areas before issuing requirements for them.

"It's an obvious thing from a technological standpoint," he said, adding that the division is currently in the testing phase because it has only been operating for 15 months.

One pilot program highlighted at Thursday's hearings is the Arizona Border Control initiative. "ABC represents a good first effort; however, it must be fully implemented and integrated into a broader border-wide initiative," McCain said.

McQueary said the department plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along the Arizona border by the end of the month for added security to the program. The initiative also calls for sensors such as infrared and thermal technologies. He said aerostats and large towers equipped with new technologies also might play roles at borders.

In his written testimony, Hutchinson said the department last year installed 286 remote surveillance systems that utilize cameras, mounting poles, radio and microwave transmitters, and other equipment to constantly watch certain portions of the northern and southern U.S. borders. Border officers also have access to data from underground sensors -- such as seismic-, magnetic- and thermal-detection devices -- that send information to control centers.

The system is not yet fully deployed, but the department plans to install 16 more devices this year. Hutchinson said the department expects to integrate data from UAVs into the system.

McQueary's shop also has dedicated money to develop other border security devices, including: heartbeat detectors that would indicate the number of individuals in a vehicle or enclosed area; language translators for officers to communicate more effectively; and long-range acoustic devices that would broadcast communications over loudspeakers for hundreds of yards.