Border Management Resource Center

The United States and Mexico share the longest contiguous land border in the world, and monitoring traffic across it is a monumental effort. In December 2023, Customs and Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 250,000 migrants at the southern border, surpassing the previous monthly migrant encounter record.

In order to mitigate human trafficking, drug smuggling and promote trade and cooperation between the US and Mexico, US border officials must leverage the latest innovative technologies and best practices. By attending the Border Technology Summit, personnel across key federal agencies and state/local law enforcement can connect with industry solutions providers to learn more about the technologies establishing border security in 2024.

This two-day event held September 24-25 in San Diego, California, provides a forum to explore the latest advancements in border security technology. This year’s summit is focused on engaging the audience with high level discussions surrounding advancements in biometrics, non-intrusive inspection, smart walls, current and future operations of border security, and much more.

Before the event, IDGA sat with conference chair Nelson Balido for an exclusive interview. By downloading the conversation readers will gain:

• Analysis of the latest technologies shaping border security in 2024
• An overview of what sets IDGA's Border Technology Summit apart from other events
• What Nelson expects attendees of this years conference to walk away having gained

Border security in the 21st century isn’t necessarily defined by physical barriers, but also the integration of modern technologies with skilled personnel and policies.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses Border Surveillance Systems (BSS) as a modern means to enhance border security and national security. BSS helps in monitoring the border, detecting illegal entries, and apprehending violators. It includes technologies like video surveillance, thermal imaging, radar, ground sensors, and radio frequency sensors.

Since the mid-2000s CBP has been committed to developing a range of BSS to help protect the southern border. This report will look at those systems, specifically the surveillance towers, that are playing a significant role in CBP’s efforts to create a “virtual wall”.

To learn more about the virtual wall and other border surveillance strategies, be sure to register for the Border Technology Summit today. This two-day event taking place September 24-25 in San Diego, California, will provide a forum to explore the latest advancements in border security technology. At this year’s event, IDGA is focusing on engaging our audience with high-level discussions surrounding advancements in biometrics, non-intrusive inspection, smart walls, current and future operations of border security, and much more.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Southwest Border experienced over 179,000 border encounters in the month of April, putting the U.S. on track to hit 10 million encounters on its borders this fiscal year. As these encounters increase, many local law enforcement agencies located on the border are playing a more vital role in securing their section of the border.

Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland is no stranger to protecting the southern border. His law enforcement career began in 1996 when Sheriff Cleveland entered duty with the U.S. Border Patrol, and in 2022 he was officially elected as Terrell County Sheriff, a county in Southwest Texas that touches 54 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border. In his role, Sheriff Cleveland must ensure the safety of residents in one of the most remote counties in the country with a population around 700 people. In order to do so, Sheriff Cleveland must form partnerships with state and federal agencies to ensure the county has proper personnel and technologies.

This September, Sheriff Cleveland will present at the Border Technology Summit in San Diego, California on his experience as a small-county sheriff on the U.S.-Mexico border. Before the two-day event, Sheriff Cleveland sat down with IDGA to give a

Border Technology Summit 2024, brought together 20+ nations, 20+ speakers and 150+ federal and industry attendees such as US Customs and Border Protection and US Coast Guard, state/municipal law enforcement and Sheriffs, with the opportunity to explore the latest advancements in border security technology.

Find out who attended 2024's event and download the Attendee list to the right>>

The US Customs and Border Protection’s mission to safeguard America’s border is critical for maintaining economic prosperity and good relations with US neighboring countries. The Biden Administration and Congress continue to work together to build out US CBP’s capabilities, particularly in the realm of technology, infrastructure and workforce development. With this in mind, we have provided here a detailed and accessible breakdown of how CBP funding looks moving forward.

This year we are launching our new event Border Technology Summit with veteran Chairman Nelson Balido. In this interview he delivers a fast hard hitting interview on the need for the event and why it matters for industry. He touches on:

• Trends and challenges in border Security
• Where do the greatest opportunities lie for business.
• Key differentiators and unique selling points of the conference
  

This exclusive presentation, delivered by Brent Cotton, Deputy Director, C-UAS PMO Department of Homeland Security at the 2023 Counter-UAS Summit ties in with DHS engagement on mitigating the use of drones for surveillance and smuggling at the US-Mexico border. The Border Technology Summit 2023 will have a number of speaking sessions devoted to this topic.