Robot dogs could soon help patrol the US-Mexico border – Axios

Robot dogs could soon help patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.
Why it matters: Both political parties have long said U.S. Customs and Border Protection needs more technology to monitor the 2,000-mile terrain, but some Democrats and advocates say the border is already overly militarized.
Driving the news: A research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced last week it has been working with the Philadelphia-based company Ghost Robotics to develop a robot dog for the border.
Details: Ghost Robotics CEO Jiren Parikh told Axios he couldn't share more information about the robot dogs the Border Patrol will use, but some in development have special sensors and can carry equipment to identify drugs, nuclear materials and chemical weapons.
Yes, but: Robot dogs are controversial.
What they're saying: "It is really sad to see how much money has been invested in military technology to seal the border," Fernando García, executive director of the immigrant advocacy group Border Network for Human Rights, told Axios.
But the use of high-tech robot dogs along the border probably isn't violating any constitutional rights, Michael Olivas, the emeritus William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Houston Law Center, told Axios.
Senator Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, will review the results of any studies CBP is doing on the robo dogs "as he does with any new technology, based on whether it can smartly and effectively improve border security,” spokesperson Marisol Samayoa told Axios.
Don't forget: Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 1.7 million people suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in fiscal year 2021 — the highest number on record, Axios' Stef Kight reported in October.
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