DHS Plans to Expand Border Surveillance Towers to 2,300 by 2034, EFF Says

The Department of Homeland Security expects to grow its border tower network from about 830 sites to 2,300 and spend roughly $1 billion on the expansion, according to EFF’s account of a GAO report.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to expand its U.S. border surveillance tower network from about 830 towers to 2,300 by 2034, nearly tripling the current total, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s account of a Government Accountability Office report.

EFF said DHS expects to spend about $1 billion on the expansion through Customs and Border Protection’s Integrated Surveillance Tower program. The group said the funding comes from the One Big Beautiful Act, a tax and spending law signed by President Trump in 2025.

The Integrated Surveillance Tower program includes autonomous towers using radar, thermal-infrared and optical systems to track targets over long distances, EFF said. The program also includes integrated fixed towers for monitoring foot traffic and vehicles, along with remote video surveillance systems placed near border barriers.

DHS plans to buy more long-range autonomous towers and upgrade existing towers with autonomous capabilities, according to EFF.

EFF said the systems capture images of people and vehicles and can operate near towns, residential neighborhoods, school playgrounds, backyards and roads in border regions. The organization argues that the expansion raises privacy and civil-liberties concerns for people living near the border.

The planned increase would add roughly 1,470 towers to the current network by 2034.