“A series of surveillance towers and cameras that have been used to remotely surveil the border since 2011,” known as the Remote Video Surveillance Systems and described by Tennessee congressman Mark Green as a “force multiplier” for Border Patrol agents, is only at a 70% operational level—and no one really seems to know how long these cameras have been out of order.

From a report by Julia Ainsley at NBC News:

Nearly one-third of the cameras in the Border Patrol’s primary surveillance system along the southern U.S. border are not working, according to an internal agency memo sent in early October, depriving border agents of a crucial tool in combating illegal migrant crossings.

‘The nationwide issue is having significant impacts on [Border Patrol] operations,’ reads a Border Patrol memo sent to a sector of agents along the southern border and obtained by NBC News[.]

According to the same memo, the problem affects (at least) 150 out of the 500 cameras, and they’ve fallen into ruin because the entity contracted to handle the maintenance and repairs can’t seem to do their job—shocker, it’s a government agency (not a private company) with “internal problems” inhibiting its ability to properly meet the Border Patrol’s needs. Here’s more on the story, per Gaby Del Valle at The Verge:

Border Patrol is considering replacing the FAA with a contractor that can provide ‘adequate technical support’ for the cameras, the memo states.

Del Valle also notes that Congressman Green dispatched a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, citing that the number of non-working cameras was far higher than the 30% mentioned in the memo, alleging it to be a whopping 66%. (Is it just me, or is anyone else wearied by all these strongly-worded letters and no real results?)

And in true mainstream fashion, here’s what the NBC report said about the debacle:

The Department of Homeland Security’s budget request to Congress, via the White House, has routinely asked for more money to restore surveillance systems along the border.

House Republicans blocked a bipartisan bill this year that would have significantly improved surveillance systems, hired additional Border Patrol agents and resumed border wall construction.

Nevermind the trillion-dollar “green” spending bills, the hundreds of billions in foreign aid doled out around the world, the cushy salaries and perks for politicians and more than two million (civilian) federal employees—if only those political-game-playing Republicans had done their job and passed the Democrats’ border bill, this wouldn’t be a problem!

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.