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Senate Limits Border Drones In California

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Senate Limits Border Drones In California

Senate Limits Border Drones In California

feinstein.senate.gov

Sen. Dianne Feinstein

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to keep drone planes limited to patrolling only within three miles of the border in California.

The amendment will not affect U.S. Customs and Border Protection flying the drones within the border regions of Arizona, Texas or New Mexico, only California. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) asked for the exception.

“The reason for that is that we have several million people within a hundred miles of the border, in cities in Orange County, San Diego County and up to Long Beach lying within that mileage," she said.

Others on the committee said they wanted the drones to fly. The bill calls for drones to patrol within 100 miles of the border. Supporters and critics have said they expect drones in the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Fronteras Desk senior editor Michel Marizco is an award-winning investigative reporter based in Flagstaff.