Steve Daines Fights to Secure the Northern Border

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) toured America’s northern border with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers Thursday and discussed the need to secure Montana and the country’s borders.

During the visit, the CBP demonstrated new technology they use on the border, including new methods to secure the area.

The CBP demonstrated to Daines how they use small unmanned aircraft systems, ground sensors, and autonomous towers. These new technologies, coupled with advanced communications systems, protect the border while enhancing the safety for CBP officers.

Following the technology demo, Sen. Daines said, “This is a great example of how we are using technology to be a force multiplier here for the men and women who serve protecting us at the northern border… It’s an open and porous border, this is how we can use technology to make sure we secure our northern border.”

The United States has a 5,525 mile-long border with Canada, with 545 miles of that border being in Montana. Sen. Daines has advocated for securing America’s northern border as well as the country’s southern border.

In an interview in May, Sen. Daines discussed the need to secure America’s southern border so that the state can fight illegal methamphetamine pouring into its communities.

Sen. Daines said:

Over the last couple of months, I have been spending a lot of time traveling to virtually every corner of Montana, hearing stories of what’s happening with methamphetamines, it is a crisis. Our U.S. Marshall told us from Billings [Montana], told us that our meth seized last year in Montana doubled from the year before.

“In every county in Montana, every member of law enforcement is telling us that this is a crisis. We are seeing this meth coming from Mexico. It’s very different from the meth fight we had 15 years ago in Montana,” Sen. Daines continued.