Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is calling on DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to explain why many border surveillance cameras are not working. Green’s request follows a Border Patrol memo indicating that one-third of the cameras along the southern border are malfunctioning, affecting agents’ ability to monitor illegal immigration.
Green’s letter, sent to Mayorkas, asks for detailed information by October 23 about the status of the Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) towers, which are essential for Border Patrol operations. Green’s office has confirmed that sources within DHS revealed that two-thirds of these cameras have gone offline and remain unrepaired.
According to the memo, this loss of surveillance has limited Border Patrol agents’ ability to track illegal border crossings, likely leading to an undercounting of the number of “gotaways” — illegal immigrants who cross undetected.
Adding to the problem, an internal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) review found that several contractors hired to repair these cameras had not been properly vetted. CBP could not verify the citizenship status of some of the workers, raising additional security concerns.
Green’s demand for transparency comes as border security remains a hot-button issue, with concerns that the Biden-Harris administration is failing to adequately protect the southern border.
