I had read somewhere that the military
were patrolling the border with
helicopters and night vision. If they
are mainly stationed at ports of entry,
a change of tactics seems to be in order.
They should be patrolling in areas where
the BP is limited, in wide open areas.
I understand full well what laws need to
be changed to actually stop the influx.
“I had read somewhere that the military were patrolling the border with helicopters and night vision.”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have their own helicopters and night vision for patrol.
The additional military aviation assets that were requested/provided last year, were to transport CBP personnel and equipment (e.g., if a caravan shifts from San Diego to El Paso at the last minute).
If the Military is patrolling the border from the air, it is likely a longstanding function of Joint Task Force - Bravo (JTF-B), a standing counter drug organization within DoD, rather than part of the new mission.
The Military also supports Homeland Security with the Aerostat program - tethered blimps with a high-tech surveillance package.