# The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?

**Published:** September 21, 2026
**Author:** James O'Donnell, Eileen Guo
**Source:** MIT Technology Review
**Language:** en-US
**HTML:** https://aiqazaqstan.com/en/articles/the-us-spent-billions-on-border-surveillance-why-can-t-it-catch-people-b

When José Morales Bernal crossed the border into the United States on April 8, 2024, the day before his 32nd birthday, it should have triggered a chain of technological alerts and human responses. As he walked through the desert in southern New Mexico that morning, he was within…

> From the original source: **MIT Technology Review**
> [Read full article at MIT Technology Review](https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1144166/border-towers-surveillance-investigation/)

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