Schumer calls for Mayorkas to ‘deploy special drone-detection tech’ in New York, New Jersey
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to “deploy special drone-detection” technology in New York and New Jersey.
“I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings,” Schumer posted on the social platform X. “I’m calling for @SecMayorkas to deploy special drone-detection tech across NY and NJ.”
Schumer said he was working to pass a bill in the Senate that would give local law enforcement more tools for detecting drones.
Over the last several days there have been increasing reports of drone sightings across New Jersey and New York. The sightings have sparked intrigue and concern.
The FBI has been monitoring the events over the last several weeks and said it is investigating the sightings.
In a statement with DHS, the FBI reiterated that the agency has no reason to believe that the drone sightings are a national security concern or public safety threat.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) went out with local law enforcement to try and see the drones himself.
Kim determined that some of the mysterious drone sightings are “almost certainly planes.”
“I don’t discount others may have seen actual drone activity, and not all I saw is fully explained by flight paths, but much of it was,” Kim wrote.
He advocated for federal agencies to investigate the sightings and said he would try to get more answers on what was going on.
Kim co-signed a letter, along with Schumer and other Democratic senators in New Jersey and New York, requesting that federal agencies including DHS and the Federal Aviation Administration investigate the matter.
A DHS spokesperson said the department responds to members of Congress directly through official channels and will “continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight.”
In an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” Mayorkas sought to assure Americans that DHS has a handle on the sightings and remains “vigilant” in investigating the matter.
Updated on Dec. 16 at 9:09 a.m. EST
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
