After more than five years and a billion dollars spent, the federal government has pulled the plug on the virtual fence along the border.
The high tech pilot program was intended to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants along 53 miles of the Arizona border.
But back in January 2010, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ordered a review of the program.
On Friday afternoon, Napolitano announced that the high tech program would officially come to an end.
In a statement, Napolitano said the “one size fits all” approach on security does not work along the border.
Instead she said they will turn to "proven technology" that works. This includes the use of thermal imaging, mobile surveillance and drones along the border, among other things.
The virtual fence came about in 2005 and was designed as a high tech system of towers and command centers.
However, it was plagued by delays and technology problems, at a cost exceeding one billion dollars.
By contrast, the new approach would cover all of Arizona's 323 mile-long border and would cost 750 million dollars, approximately 250 million less than the “virtual fence.”
The Arizona border was chosen as a pilot program, with plans to expand the virtual fence all along the borders with Mexico and Canada.
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