Schumer Presses Mayorkas To Deploy ‘Special Drone-Detection Tech’

On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for better equipment to locate mystery drones in the Mid-Atlantic.

“I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings,” Schumer said on X. “I’m calling for [Mayorkas] to deploy special drone-detection tech across” New York and New Jersey.

I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings.

I’m calling for @SecMayorkas to deploy special drone-detection tech across NY and NJ.

And I’m working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 15, 2024

Mayorkas indicated on ABC News’ “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had begun to send equipment to New Jersey in particular.

“We, in the federal government, have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology, to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings,” Mayorkas said.

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On Wednesday, New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia shared to X details from a briefing about the suspected drones that have been spotted over the past several weeks.

She said the “large” drones were 6 feet in diameter, operated in a coordinated manner, and appeared to avoid “traditional methods” of detection by helicopters and radio frequencies.

White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said last week that “sophisticated electronic detection technologies” had so far not been able to corroborate visual sightings.

“To the contrary,” Kirby added, “upon review of available imagery it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement on Sunday that her calls for “additional resources” to assist in solving the drone mystery had been answered.

“[O]ur federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State. This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” she said.

Hochul, Kirby, and Mayorkas also called on Congress to pass legislation to boost the authorities and resources afforded to state and local law enforcement agencies to counter drones.

The Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act will give states “the authority and resources required to respond to circumstances like we face today,” Hochul said.

In his post to X on Sunday, Schumer declared that he is “working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection.”