The Internet was quick to mock President Donald Trump's proclamation to build "smart walls" not "medieval walls" in Friday's address to the nation from the White House Rose Garden. Twitter users asked, "Will they be compatible with Apple?" and "Will they play Netflix?" (See more clever remarks — many of them loaded with snark — in the gallery above.) Interestingly, Trump pivoted to a more high-tech cyber wall, the sort of system Democrats have proposed with a strategic investment in security, over a massive concrete structure. Earlier this week, No. 3 House Democratic leader Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said, "If his $5.7 billion is about border security, then we see ourselves fulfilling that request, only doing it with what I like to call using a 'smart wall.'" Trump also contradicted past remarks he has made in favor of a more traditional concrete barrier, and said, "We do not need 2,000 miles of concrete wall from sea to shining sea." "We never did, we never proposed that, we never wanted that, because we have barriers at the border where our natural structures are as good as anything we can build," he said. "They're already there. They've been there for millions of years." MORE: The Latest: Trump threatens 2nd shutdown without 'fair deal' Trump announced the government — after a record 35-day partial shutdown — will temporarily reopen for a few weeks while he negotiates with Congress on his demand for billions of dollars to pay for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. He threatened to shut down the government again or use his presidential powers to address the border issue if he doesn't get what he's calling a "fair deal." Trump says the border barrier he wants built shouldn't be "controversial" because it will keep drugs and criminals from crossing into the United States. In addition to saying the barrier would be "smart," he said it would have "see-through visibility." The Associated Press contributed to this story.<doc-sep>Tech companies are increasingly bullish on building a "smart wall," which would incorporate new technologies to beef up security on the southern border. Many firms see a potential windfall with both Democrats and Republicans floating the idea of tech improvements as an alternative to President Trump's call for a steel barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats have said they would back as much as $5.7 billion for a smart wall. Trump himself discussed the idea when announcing the deal to end the recent government shutdown. ADVERTISEMENT "The walls we are building are not medieval walls. They are smart walls designed to meet the needs of frontline border agents," the president said last Friday. Trump's critics, though, noted he had first dismissed the idea when it was proposed by Democrats. The tech and defense industries have long pushed for technology to be a centerpiece of efforts to secure the border. Now they see new momentum for the idea as a bicameral, bipartisan group of lawmakers seek to hash out a border deal to avoid a second shutdown. "We cannot focus on archaic solutions in order to address this very modern problem," Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), one of the conferees, said during the group's first meeting on Wednesday. "Technology works for securing the border." Some of the technologies floated include drones to surveil areas border agents cannot easily see, biometrics to check people entering the U.S. with their IDs, and sensors that detect people moving across the border. The encouraging atmosphere has companies looking to highlight technologies that could be deployed. Elbit Systems of America, a U.S.-based subsidiary of top Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, told The Hill it "stands ready" to expand its work at the border. Elbit has worked with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to build "integrated fixed towers" equipped with radars and cameras, along approximately 200 miles of the border in Arizona, and says it is prepared to deploy that equipment in other border states, including Texas and California. "We’re standing by with the ability to deploy more for border patrol to support their mission, pending the outcomes of some of the discussions that are happening right now by the lawmakers and others," Gordon Kesting, Elbit Systems of America's vice president, told The Hill. "We think we’re in a good position to leverage the good work that’s been done to date and do things quickly in response to what might be a sense of urgency around more border security." Alex Philp, the founder and chief technology officer of Montana-based company Adelos, Inc., told The Hill his company hopes to inform supportive lawmakers about its product: a fiber optic cable that could alert agents to movements along the border. Philp told The Hill that Adelos, which is competing for a contract with CBP, has been in communication with Sen. Jon Tester Jonathan (Jon) TesterOvernight Defense: Groups use Afghanistan withdrawal to push for defense budget cuts | Confederate renaming effort could affect 'hundreds' of military assets | Progressives see 'historic' moment to shift US-Israel relations Groups urge Congress to use Afghanistan withdrawal to cut defense budget Are cranky Democrats an electoral risk? MORE (D-Mont. ), who sits on the border talks committee. Philp called the company's home state senator "a big supporter of what we’ve been doing." Executives who spoke to The Hill had high hopes for the talks. Philp said he believes the panel's lawmakers are finally "energizing smart alternatives to physical barriers." Despite the new momentum there are potential roadblocks ahead. Republicans and Democrats are still divided on the need for including new physical barriers on the border, a key demand of Trump. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who sits on the bicameral panel and represents a border district, has long sought funding for drones and aerostats, video surveillance systems, and underground detection equipment. "On average, barriers cost approximately $25 million per mile, whereas technology only costs a fraction of that – between $1 to 2 million per mile," Cuellar said at the panel's first meeting. "Smart technology is a part of a comprehensive solution but it’s not the only solution in and of itself," Republican Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.), a border panel conferee, added. "Cameras, sensors, drones and other smart technology highlight the gaps and vulnerabilities along our long border." But Shelby added that "smart technology alone does not actually stop anyone from crossing into the U.S. illegally." Previous efforts to fund a smart wall have faltered in Congress. Rep. Will Hurd William Ballard HurdFirst Democrat jumps into key Texas House race to challenge Gonzales Will the real Lee Hamiltons and Olympia Snowes please stand up? The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Biden, Congress drawn into pipeline cyberattack, violence in Israel MORE (R-Texas) in 2017 introduced the Secure Miles with All Resources and Technology Act, or the SMART Act, which would have directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deploy border technology including radar, tunnel detection technology, drones, and sensors. But that measure stalled in committee. Hurd's office did not respond to The Hill's on whether he will introduce the bill, which had nine co-sponsors, including two Democrats, again. Outside of the political complications, the tech industry's push for a smart border is raising other concerns. Tech companies are already facing criticism from their workers and from privacy and civil rights groups over their sale of products to law enforcement, in particular surveillance or facial recognition products. Amazon in October faced enormous pushback after reports it met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to pitch them on buying the tech giant's controversial facial recognition technology. Thousands of protesters last year also pushed Salesforce to end its contracts with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) over the administration's policy separating migrant families. That criticism is likely to intensify if tech companies mobilize to help secure the border. Neema Singh Guliani, a senior legislative council at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told The Hill that there are privacy and efficiency concerns about technologies that have been deployed at the border. Guliani predicted that residents of border cities would "have objections" to aerial surveillance. She said that drones can "capture very sensitive details about peoples’ lives." "One [concern] is that we’re trading one civil liberties mess for another," Mana Azarmi, a policy counsel for Center for Democracy & Technology, told The Hill. "I don’t think people living near the border will want to bear the brunt of this surveillance." "In reality, this surveillance is going to fall disproportionately on people who live near the border," Azarmi added. Still, many tech executives say their products can provide a comprehensive solution border security. And with the activity on Capitol Hill, they believe the debate is turning in their favor. "Environmental constraints, cost constraints, the law enforcement tools require something that’s hidden," said Philp.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON D.C. (Truthout.org). – As immigrant rights groups pressure Democrats to refuse to offer President Donald Trump any money for his anti-immigrant agenda, House Democratic leaders are reportedly preparing to release a plan on Thursday that would provide billions of dollars in funding for more Border Patrol agents, new drones, and other so-called “border security improvements” if Trump agrees to reopen the government first. While the plan would not include any funding for Trump’s physical wall, the Democratic proposal — which has yet to be finalized — is expected to offer billions of dollars for border surveillance technology that House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) called a “smart wall.” “If you look at all the things that we are proposing, more judges, more border patrol, additional technology, these are the kinds of things that we are going to be putting forth,” Clyburn told reporters on Wednesday. “And I think that they can be done using the figure that the president has put on the table, if his $5.7 billion is about border security, then we see ourselves fulfilling that request only doing it with what I like to call using a ‘smart wall.’” “Walls are primitive — what we need to do is have border security,” Clyburn added. “Use technology, use scanners, use x-ray equipment.” While the full details of the Democratic “counteroffer” are not public, the Washington Post reported that the funding offered in the plan is likely to be “higher than the levels Democrats have supported in the past, which have ranged from $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion.” “Some Democrats suggested they would even be willing to meet Trump’s request for $5.7 billion — as long as it goes for technology and other improvements, not the physical wall the president is seeking,” the Post noted, pointing to remarks by Clyburn and other top Democrats. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Democrats are “prepared to spend a very substantial sum of money because we share the view that our borders need to be secure.” The Yucatan Times Newsroom Comments comments<doc-sep>
In announcing an end to the long government shutdown on Jan. 25, President Trump suggested that he wants border wall funding to go toward creating "smart walls." In light of the president's remarks, many Americans might be wondering what a smart wall means. Trump's border security comment implies that the administration is now more inclined to enhance border technology instead of erecting a lengthy barrier between the United States and Mexico. Trump described his vision of a smart wall during his Rose Garden remarks on Jan. 25. The president emphasized to reporters that a smart wall would feature modern technology to assist border officials in carrying out their duties. As the president noted: The walls we are building are not medieval walls. They are smart walls designed to meet the needs of frontline border agents, and are operationally effective. These barriers are made of steel, have see-through visibility, which is very important, and are equipped with sensors, monitors, and cutting-edge technology, including state-of-the-art drones. Trump also emphasized that his administration wasn't interested in building a concrete barrier along its southern border. "We do not need 2,000 miles of concrete wall from sea to shining sea — we never did; we never proposed that; we never wanted that ...," Trump said in his remarks. The president also emphasized that " ... we [the United States] have barriers at the border where natural structures are as good as anything that we can build. They’re already there. They’ve been there for millions of years." Notably, as CNBC reported, rhetoric regarding a smart wall seems to have originated with a Democrat, U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn. The Majority Whip implied that the only way Democrats would consider meeting Trump's request for increased border security funding is through funds targeted for technological enhancements to border security, not a barrier. As Clyburn said after a Democratic caucus meeting on Jan. 23 (via The Hill): Using the figure that the president has put on the table, if his $5.7 billion is about border security then we see ourselves fulfilling that request, only doing what I like to call using a smart wall. These are the types of things that we are going to be putting forward [when negotiating a spending deal]. As the New York Times reported, Trump's vision for a border wall has varied extensively. The paper documented his remarks on the issue from 2015 onwards, showing that Trump has repeatedly vacillated on how long he thinks the wall should be, what it will be made of, and who will pay for it, among other topics. His smart wall comments seem to represent his newest vision for how the border wall may come to fruition. Congress is currently engaged in renewed discussions about potential border wall funding ahead of Feb. 15 — the date on which the stopgap spending bill passed on Jan. 25 to reopen the government will expire. As the New York Times reported, Trump suggested that he will not sign a new spending bill that doesn't include funding for enhanced border security. The president noted that he's willing to shut down the federal government again or declare a national emergency in order to ensure that his border funding is secured, the paper noted. It remains to be seen whether Democrats will ultimately decide to support this border security funding via a "smart wall" allocation in the spending bill.