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DHS Terminates Funding For Virtual Fence
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it will immediately halt funding for new work on the virtual fence on the U.S.-Mexican border. (DHS Press Release, March 16, 2010). DHS has Secretary Janet Napolitano said that DHS will immediately reallocate $50 million of stimulus funding because “The system of sensors and cameras along the Southwest border known as SBInet has been plagued with cost overruns and missed deadlines.” Id. Her announcement preempted the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that was harshly critical of the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet), which includes the virtual fence program. The GAO report, released two days later, detailed DHS’s mismanagement of the program and concluded that the program to use technology to secure the border was developing new problems faster than it could fix existing ones. (GAO Report). According to GAO, DHS’s mismanagement of the virtual fence has “increased the risk that the system will not perform as expected and will take longer and cost more than necessary.” (GAO Testimony, March 18, 2010).
The $6.7 billion virtual fence project was started in 2005 as a component of SBInet, and consists of technology aimed at stopping illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, and terrorists from crossing our southern border. DHS contracted with the Boeing Corporation in 2006 to implement a series of nine security towers equipped with night vision cameras, radar and sensors, along with a variety of communications systems and software to monitor activities along large stretches of the border. Since its inception, the virtual fence has been plagued with technical difficulties that have delayed its completion. The technology was supposed to have been in place by June 2007, but the system is still full of bugs.
In an apparent attempt to get in front of the audit results, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last month ordered a reassessment of the entire initiative and President Obama’s budget proposal cut $225 million in funding for the virtual fence program. (See FAIR’s Legislative Update, February 16, 2010). Napolitano stated at the time that “Americans need border security now - not 10 years down the road.” (The Washington Times, February 4, 2010). Of last week’s decision to halt any further funding of the virtual fence, she said, “Not only do we have an obligation to secure our borders, we have a responsibility to do so in the most cost effective way possible.” (DHS Press Release, March 16, 2010).
In a House Homeland Security hearing last week, GAO provided highly critical testimony regarding the management of SBInet. One official noted, “SBInet testing has not been adequately managed, as illustrated by poorly defined test plans and numerous and extensive last-minute changes to test procedures. Further, testing that has been performed identified a growing number of system performance and quality problems - a trend that is not indicative of a maturing system that is ready for deployment anytime soon.” (GAO Testimony, March 18, 2010). Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, described SBInet as “a grave and expensive disappointment.” (Washington Post, March 16, 2010). Thompson blamed DHS for its role, “The department could’ve been far more vigilant in its oversight.” (NPR, March 17, 2010).
Napolitano’s decision to cease funding that would expand the program may not mean certain death for the virtual fence, but coupled with the harsh report from GAO, is a critical blow to the project. The funding freeze is pending a broader reassessment but is a sign that the program will likely be terminated.