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 Technology News | September 2006 
Boeing May Help Catch Illegal Immigrants
 Lara Jakes Jordan - Associated Press
| | Homeland Security gave companies chasing the contract unusual freedom to come up with their own ideas for how best to apply new and developing technologies to the problem. |
Boeing Co. has won a big government contract to provide new high-tech ways to catch illegal immigrants trying to enter the U.S. along the Mexican border, a congressional aide said.
The Department of Homeland Security was expected to announce the contract, which has been estimated as high as $2 billion, as early as Wednesday. The congressional aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the department had not yet made its announcement.
Boeing was among several major defense companies competing for the job. While other companies' proposals relied more heavily on using flying drones to patrol the border, Boeing focused on a network of 1,800 high-tech towers, equipped with cameras and motion detectors, that could feed live information to Border Patrol agents.
Boeing's victory was reported in several newspapers Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
The contract, part of the Secure Border Initiative, is the government's latest attempt to use advanced technology to solve the illegal immigration problem, which lawmakers have called a national security issue and which has given new attention in light of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Homeland Security gave companies chasing the contract — including Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. — unusual freedom to come up with their own ideas for how best to apply new and developing technologies to the problem. |
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