Following recent funding announcements for border control in Texas, changes will soon be coming, but what does that truly mean? We explore what to expect in the future and share our predictions.
Over recent years, Texas has significantly increased its border security efforts, deploying new and additional resources to address the ever-growing issues of illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.
However, the recent funding announcement towards border control in Texas is expected to completely change the current system.
The Recent Funding Announcement to Texas’ Border Control
Expected to be released on the 27th May 2025, Texas border control will receive $11 billion in funding and border coverage will be boosted to 500 miles.
Following the election of Donald Trump, whose campaign placed heavy focus on border control and immigration, this latest funding announcement displays exactly that.
This large boost in financial support aims to support various sectors including the Law Enforcement, border force, and other private security agencies, all of which have a responsibility in protecting Texas’ border.
The aim of this funding is for various agencies and public sectors to advance their security to help reduce crime rates and illegal immigration figures.
However, as much as this funding has been welcomed by Texas, there are some pre existing challenges, as well as the likelihood of new ones that could create complications for border control.
The Challenges for Texas Border Control
The Texas border in its current state faces various challenges, however, following the release of funding in May, there’s a high chance that these challenges will still be present as well as additional new challenges which may not have been felt before.
Combining this existing knowledge with future predictions, we formed 4 main challenges we expect Texas border control to face following funding release:
Increased Coverage Expectations
Under current rules, the border coverage expectations are much smaller than that of future plans with the increased funding.
The conditions linked to the $11bn deal means that border control coverage will increase to 500 miles, crossing over four different terrains and increasing the workload tremendously for the State.
This increased coverage will bring challenges surrounding security management. Reduced accuracy, increased risk of illegal immigration, threats to public safety, and stretched security services are all potential issues.
Relying on border force and manned guarding can be extremely risky in these scenarios due to human error and with the staff shortage currently being seen in the industry across most States.
Staff Shortages
In a recent audit by the Department of Homeland Security, it found that 88% of border stations reported understaffing, this includes Texas.
The Texas border is about half of the U.S.–Mexico border, stretching 1,254 miles. For the State, this makes managing the security of that border alone extremely difficult, especially when faced with understaffing.
Under the funding announcement, border coverage has expanded to 500 miles and with understaffing already present with the current border length, this issue is likely to continue, if not worsen due to the increased expectations.
The consequences of staff shortages can be devastating for border control, leading to the following issues:
- Increased risk of illegal immigration into Texas
- Increased chance of smuggling, allowing for illegal goods and other activities to take place
- Weakened security, making it easier for individuals with malicious intent to cross the border and create a national security threat
- Reduced concentration or personnel precision due to burnout, demotivation, and tiredness created from understaffing and stretched hours
- Delays and disruption causing economic damage for businesses within Texas
Threats to Safety
Increased border control can create threats to safety for multiple reasons, for staff, those travelling over the border, and the residents and visitors of Texas.
In some instances, illegal immigration can increase the risk of violent behavior towards staff as they attempt to avoid capture and enter the State. This could lead to injury to all involved and reduce security if staff have been impacted by this.
This can also increase the risk to safety for any individuals travelling over the border legally if crime or violent behavior is present at the point of crossing.
Illegal immigration also comes with risk of exploitation and criminal gangs, which if entry occurs poses a threat to any individuals living or visiting the State.
Varied Terrain
As part of the new funding deal, the expansion of border control coverage in Texas will mean surveillance and monitoring will be required across four different terrain types:
- Desert
- Ports
- Coastal Areas and Shores
- Valleys and Canyons
This may not appear as a concern, however, with using border force as the main security measure, there will be various factors that need to be considered in both a safety and logistics sense.
For staff, considering the living and transportation logistics for remote locations is important. It can be challenging to recruit individuals into those areas due to how secluded they can be, living options, and complex transportation issues.
With working conditions, each terrain type will require a different approach and could be difficult for border forces to patrol depending on the individual safety concerns of them all.
For example, mountains may not be able to be patrolled on foot due to rocky terrain and risk of injury.
How Can Mobile Surveillance Trailers Benefit Border Control?
Due to the challenges faced with border control in Texas, enhancing your security beyond border force and the Law Enforcement will help to protect the State against crime, illegal immigration, and other safety challenges faced.
As coverage increases, so should the security measures to align with this, and mobile surveillance units such as our Solar Surveillance Trailers are the best way to do this.
Considered an efficient, cost-effective security solution that can deter crime, prevent escalation, and intercept active incidents, Surveillance Trailers would provide an additional boost, if not offer a high-quality replacement that could be used to support border control in Texas.
But, what are the exact benefits they could bring for the future? We explore the benefits Mobile Surveillance Trailers could provide border control following the recent funding announcement and updates to Texas’ border:
24/7 Live Monitoring and Recording
Unlike border force and manned guarding who require holidays, breaks, and sick days, Surveillance Trailers provide live monitoring and recording 24/7/365.
This ensures your border remains under high security watch at all times with no risk of human error such as a lack of concentration or tiredness.
Backed by remote monitoring services, they work as virtual security guards that deter, detect, and deal with crime using a proactive and reactive security approach.
Combined with border force, Mobile Surveillance Trailers can enhance the strength of your border’s security, detecting threats that may not be visible to the human eye and supporting relevant personnel in preventing any risks from escalating.
Additional advancements like infrared cameras can be utilized to benefit this further, using thermal imagery to assess any motion detected, even behind blindspots.
With 500 miles of border to cover across Texas, border forces alone may struggle to manage this alone and through the use of Surveillance Trailers, like our own, your borders receive live monitoring day-to-night without any loss in quality.
Advanced Camera Technology For Expanded Coverage
The human eye can only capture so much, but combine that with long shifts, reduced visibility, and large areas, the risk for human error only grows.
With WCCTV’s Mobile Surveillance Trailers, all of our cameras are fitted with advanced camera technology, allowing them to be used as standalone security systems or as part of a blended approach.
Offering IR PTZ capabilities, AI video analytics, near 360-degree view, and zoom in features, our Trailers can be fitted with up to 4 cameras, allowing for expanded coverage across large areas.
By using Surveillance Trailers, you can remove part of the responsibility from border force agents to manage such vast spaces and allow them to focus on other important tasks.
And if you’re concerned about the monitoring in which the cameras are provided, you can connect remotely into live footage for reassurance wherever you are, on any device.
Complete Power Autonomy for Locational Flexibility
Border force agents and Law Enforcement offer around the clock security, however, with understaffing, holiday, and sickness all increasing the risk of reduced security presence, our Surveillance Trailers ensures a 24/7 security presence in even the most remote locations.
Utilizing cellular connectivity and having an independent solar power source, WCCTV’s Solar Surveillance Trailers work as standalone security, requiring no input from you.
This keeps them flexible, making them easily relocatable and perfect for secluded locations like desert land without having to skimp on quality.
With coverage expanding to 500 miles of border, security needs to be adjustable to the various terrain and location types. Not all areas will be suitable for border force agents, but Surveillance Trailers offer an alternative solution to this.
Their locational flexibility also allows them to be moved by yourself to areas facing increased risks if you wish to provide boosted protection to those areas, helping to deter crime and monitor busy locations.
Visual and Audio Deterrence for Maximum Protection Against Aggression
When it comes to border control, preventing crime is extremely important to stop it from escalating and allowing it to manifest into any aggressive behavior or violent activities.
This helps to protect border force agents and the publics’ safety.
For many mobile surveillance cameras, they cannot offer any visual deterrence as they have only been designed to monitor threats.
However, during the creation process of our Surveillance Trailers, we ensured they offered both visual and audio deterrents, so that even if manned guarding is not present, there is still a strong security presence provided through them.
All of our Surveillance Trailers offer the following features:
- Blue flashing lights
- Sirens
- 20-ft mast
- Live voice-down audio
- Border patrol dispatch
Through the remote monitoring service used to back all of our products, these features are utilized when motion is detected and a threat is identified.
Unlike other security offerings, ours work proactively to prevent crime, whilst providing you with the tools to respond quickly and intercept crime if it escalates.
Due to the increased risk of violent crime related to border control, this is particularly important as this helps to minimize the impact on staff and support in areas where they may be less of a guard presence.
Get Ahead and Prepare Your Security Plan Before the Funding Release
With funding soon to be released and changes incoming, the need for both increased security and cost-effective solutions is vital in the success of border control across Texas.
WCCTV offers best-in-class surveillance solutions including our Surveillance Trailers, designed specifically to support industries such as Law Enforcement and border force with managing the many security risks presented to them.
They provide a much more cost-effective solution to guards, whilst ensuring you still receive a high-quality, fully-managed service where you can be as hands-on or hands-free as you need to be with your security.
Find out how we can support your border security by speaking to a Surveillance expert today!
