Alejandro Mayorkas has said a new Federal Aviation Administration rule may be behind the deluge of drone sightings across New Jersey and the East Coast.
The outgoing DHS secretary finally addressed the issue with the press on Sunday, confirming that they could not physically shoot down the drones but that technology to assist in detecting them is on its way.
He gave some clarification, however, as to why all of this seemed to be happening all of a sudden.
‘In September of 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, changed the rules so that drones could fly at night,’ Mayorkas said.
‘And that may be one of the reasons why now people are seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn to dusk.’
The FAA already imposes restrictions on nighttime operations. Most drones are not allowed to fly at night unless they are equipped with anti-collision lights that are visible for at least 3 miles
After receiving reports of drone activity last month near Morris County, New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary bans on drone flights over a golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, that is owned by President-elect Donald Trump, and over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base.
The FAA is responsible for the regulations governing their use, and Congress has written some requirements into law.
Alejandro Mayorkas has said a new Federal Aviation Administration rule may be behind the deluge of drone sightings across New Jersey and the East Coast
The outgoing DHS secretary finally addressed the issue with the press on Sunday, confirming that they could not physically shoot down the drones but that technology to assist in detecting them is on its way
With a 2018 law, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, Congress gave certain agencies in the Homeland Security and Justice departments authority to counter threats from unmanned aircraft to protect the safety of certain facilities.
New drones must be outfitted with equipment allowing law enforcement to identify the operator, and Congress gave the agencies the power to detect and take down unmanned aircraft that they consider dangerous.
The law spells out where the counter-drone measures can be used, including ‘national special security events’ such as presidential inaugurations and other large gatherings of people.
Some state and local officials in New Jersey are calling for stronger restrictions because of the recent sightings, and that has the drone industry worried.
Scott Shtofman, director of government affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said putting more limits on drones could have a ‘chilling effect’ on ‘a growing economic engine for the United States.’
‘We would definitely oppose anything that is blindly pushing for new regulation of what are right now legal drone operations,’ he said.
AirSight, a company that sells software against ‘drone threats,’ says more than 20 states have enacted laws against privacy invasion by drones, including Peeping Toms.
Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College in New Jersey, and founder of its drone program, says it’s up to users to reduce public concern about the machines.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the government needs more authorities to be able to incapacitate the uptick in mysterious drones spotted over various U.S. states in the last month
He said operators must explain why they are flying when confronted by people worried about privacy or safety.
‘It’s a brand new technology that’s not really understood real well, so it will raise fear and anxiety in a lot of people,’ Austin said. ‘We want to be good professional aviators and alleviate that.’
Mayorkas said Sunday that authorities need to be expanded for DHS and its partners to ‘incapacitate’ these mystery drones.
It comes after President-elect Donald Trump suggested that the unmanned aircraft be shot down.
‘Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge,’ Trump posted on Friday amid outcry over the ongoing mystery.
‘I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!’ the former and future president wrote on his social media site Truth Social.
Asked whether this was a possibility, Mayorkas told ABC News on Sunday that in order to be able to take more action, his agency needs to be given more powers.
‘With respect of the ability to incapacitate those drones, we are limited in our authorities,’ Mayorkas told This Week host George Stephanopoulos.
Because officials can´t say with certainty who is responsible for the sudden swarms of drones over parts of New Jersey, New York and other eastern parts of the U.S. – or how they can be stopped – leaders of both political parties have begun to demand better technology and powers to deal with the drones
Officials in Monmouth County, where residents reported 63 sightings over the time period, have shared a heatmap showing where the unmanned aircraft appear to be circulating
Monmouth County is home to the Naval Weapons Station Earle, a navy base. Experts have mused that foreign powers could be targeting areas like this which harbor intelligence and weapons bases. (Pictured: points of interest in NJ where drones have been seen overhead)
‘We have certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security that can do that and outside our department,’ he added. ‘But we need those authorities expanded, as well.’
He divulged that there are more than 8,000 drones flown every day in the U.S., including civilian and government for both work and leisure activities.
Both Mayorkas and New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed plans to send drone-detection technology to the area, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – who represents New York – made the request Sunday.
Hochul wrote: ‘In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are sending a drone detection system to New York.’
‘I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones,’ she warned.
Schumer pleaded for assistance on Sunday, writing: ‘I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings. I’m calling for @SecMayorkas to deploy special drone-detection tech across NY and NJ.’
‘And I’m working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection,’ Schumer added.
Schumer is asking for Robin Radar Systems to provide the drone detection because it is ‘360-degree technology.’
Trump suggested on Truth Social that the government start shooting down mysterious drones
‘If the technology exists for a drone to make it up into the sky, there certainly is technology that can track the craft with precision and determine what the heck is going on, and that’s what the Robin does,’ he added.
He was retweeted on X by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who wrote to the federal government on Friday himself for assistance.
Fears are growing over the mysterious objects that have been spotted flying across the sky in a number of U.S. cities in the last month – specifically in New Jersey, New York and Washington D.C.
A whopping 964 incidents have been logged in New Jersey since the first sighting on November 19 up until December 13, according to statistics collected by the state’s Office of Emergency Management and shared with the New York Post.
Officials in Monmouth County, where residents reported 63 sightings over the time period, have shared a heatmap showing where the unmanned aircraft appear to be circulating.
Drones are now being reported all along the northern East Coast, with suspicious sightings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to news reports.
They were even spotted as far west as Los Angeles this past weekend, according to FOX11.
Their presence has raised both alarm and confusion, with the Pentagon being criticized for their ‘lack of transparency’ on the issue.
A bill before the U.S. Senate would enhance some federal agencies´ authority and give new abilities to local and state agencies to track drones.
It would also start a pilot program allowing states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator.
‘What the drone issue points out are gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department.,’ said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump´s pick to be his national security adviser, speaking on CBS´ ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday.
‘Americans are finding it hard to believe we can´t figure out where these are coming from.´
