Full Breakdown
Pentagon Authorizes DHS to Test Active Denial System at Southern Border
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The Department of Defense, via a memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has granted the Department of Homeland Security a seven-month “temporary loan” of a single Active Denial System (ADS) unit for testing in border-related operations. The loan began in September and may be extended if DHS requests additional time. The ADS is a non-lethal, directed-energy weapon that emits an invisible electromagnetic beam capable of reaching roughly 800 meters (just over half a mile). military descriptions.
Background & Context
Discussions about employing the ADS for crowd control along the U.S.–Mexico border have persisted for several years within Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Earlier internal deliberations considered the system for areas with high concentrations of illegal crossings, including the El Centro sector, but it was never deployed. The Trump administration’s emphasis on border security revived interest in the technology. The ADS was previously transported to Afghanistan about two decades ago but was never used in combat, and it was also evaluated for controlling detainee-related disturbances at overseas military facilities without deployment.
Official Statements & Responses
A CBP spokesperson told CNN that the agency continuously evaluates new technologies that could enhance operational effectiveness and mission capabilities. A DHS public-affairs official emphasized that the department is solely responsible for the system’s employment, use, and development of tactics, techniques, and procedures, and that the Pentagon will not operate the equipment. When asked for comment, the Pentagon referred inquiries to DHS.
Concerns and Legal Hurdles
Former CBP and DHS officials have highlighted several obstacles to fielding the ADS. Legal questions revolve around use-of-force standards, sovereignty issues if the beam were directed at individuals still on Mexican soil, and potential harm to people, including the risk of drowning if migrants were forced back into water. One former CBP official questioned whether the cost, training, and policy development required for the system would be justified. Another former DHS official noted that treating migrants as “enemy combatants” would be deemed inhumane and likely rejected.
What’s Next
At the end of the seven-month testing period, DHS may submit a request to extend the loan of the ADS for further border operations, contingent on the outcomes of the current evaluation. No details have been released regarding specific test locations or deployment tactics.