Schumer: Study Reveals Crippling Weaknesses In Security At Northern Border

While Resources Flood To Southern Border, Upstate NY Border Left High And Dry

GAO Report Paints Shocking Picture of How Easily Security Measures Can Be Circumvented - Report Finds Some State Roads Entirely Unstaffed and Unmonitored Northern Border Still Lacking Additional Agents it was Promised—Witness At Hearing Today Said Security at Border Hasn't Increased "Since the French and Indian War" Schumer: We Must Do All We Can to Secure All Our Borders

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Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer blasted the Administration for failing to secure the northern border, including hundreds of miles along New York State’s border with Canada, after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released an extensive report documenting gaping security lapses at unmanned and unmonitored stretches of the border. At Congress’ request, the GAO assessed border security at four undisclosed northern states by conducting a series of special investigations. Today, GAO issued a scathing assessment of the current security along the border.

Schumer today blamed the Administration for neglecting security at the northern border. Schumer, who recognizes the need and importance of securing the southern border, stressed the northern border should receive similar resources, energy and attention. Upstate New York has hundreds of miles of remote land and lakes that straddle the border with Canada that could easily be crossed by terrorists.

“Those wishing to do our nation harm tend to follow the path of least resistance,” said Senator Schumer. “For Upstate New York communities within spitting range of Canada, today’s GAO report documenting gaping holes in our northern border security is shocking. It’s clear as day that the northern border is constantly being shortchanged and our security is being compromised.”

The GAO report found unmonitored state roads running very close to the U.S.-Canada border in four states. In three of those states, the roads were so close to the border that the GAO investigators were able to cross completely undetected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), even while simulating the cross-border patterns of moving radioactive materials or other kinds of contraband. U.S. Border Patrol only became alerted by a concerned citizen, who provided them with a tip. Additionally, several ports of entry were patrolled during daytime hours, but left completely unmanned overnight. By contrast, the southern border is patrolled by a significantly greater number of agents, and employed equipment such as unmanned aerial vehicles in areas unfit for a human presence.

Today, Schumer gave remarks at a Senate Finance Committee Hearing on security vulnerabilities at our nation’s northern and southern borders. A witness from the GAO presented a report on security gaps at unmanned and unmonitored stretches of border. The report was commissioned by Congress, and to investigate concerns, GAO conducted a series of special investigations at various points along both the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders.

Schumer today emphasized the need to secure both the southern and northern borders.

“We cannot just play offense in the war on terror; we also have to play defense. I intend to keep fighting to make sure our Border Patrol officers have the resources, training, and tools they need to shut down these dangers on our northern border,” Schumer added.

The northern border is a longer and more challenging frontier than the southern border, but there are only about 250 Border Patrol guards on duty at a time to cover over 4,000 miles. That’s just a fraction of the Border Patrol officers that are sent to the shorter border in the south.

Source: Senator Charles E. Schumer