The bipartisan immigration reform bill proposed by the Senate's "Gang of Eight" has plenty of critics on the right, particularly in the more conservative House of Representatives, but some criticism is also coming from the left over a controversial drone program.
Currently, the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for patrolling the border, as well and immigration and customs enforcement, uses 10 unmanned (and unarmed) drones to provide surveillance along the U.S.-Mexico border.
These drones are much like the ones the CIA uses overseas to target and kill Al Qaeda members and suspected terrorists, much like the ones progressives have railed against and Tea Party darling and Republican Senator from Kentucky Rand Paul spoke out against during a 13-hour filibuster.
Over 5 years, more than $55 million was spent on the drones that patrol the border, but last year, only 1 in every 2,500 people apprehended on the border were caught by a drone.
Drones were responsible for catching only 1 out of every 250 people entering the country illegally and only 3 percent of the drugs seized on the border.
Yet the Senate bill requires an increase in border security before any undocumented immigrants can begin the long trek down the path to citizenship, and that requirement includes more drones.
The Department of Homeland Security itself says the drones they already have are worth the money. "[Customs and Border Protection] has not adequately planned to fund unmanned aircraft-related equipment," said a report by the inspector general. "As a result of CBP's insufficient funding approach, future UAS (unmanned aerial systems) missions may have to be curtailed."
In fact, if offered money to further the drone program in the finalized bill, the department will need to use the funds to pay off the deficit its incurred through the program so far; Congress hasn't fully funded it yet.
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