Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the federal government is taking action to address the aerial drones that have prompted concern among residents in the NY/NJ area. There have been numerous reports of drone activity along the East Coast since November.

Runways at Stewart International Airport in New York were shut down for an hour on Friday after the FAA reported drone sightings in the area with NY Gov. Kathy Hochul calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which would strengthen the FAA’s drone oversight and give states more power to investigate the sightings.

Mayorkas said Sunday on ABC News “This Week with George Stephanopoulos: “There’s no question that people are seeing drones. I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings … Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones. But there’s no question that drones are being sighted.”

Mayorkas said the U.S. knows of no foreign involvement and that it remains “vigilant” in investigating the drone sightings.  He cited the change of a Federal Aviation Administration rule in 2023 that allows drones to fly at night as to why there might be an uptick in sightings, and called on Congress to expand local and state authority to help address the issue:  “I want to assure the American public that we are on it. It is critical, as we all have said for a number of years, that we need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation. Our authorities currently are limited and they are set to expire. We need them extended and expanded. We want state and local authorities to also have the ability to counter growing activity under federal supervision.”

Mayorkas later added: “With respect to the ability to incapacitate those drones, we are limited in our authorities. We have certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security that can do that and outside our department, but we need those authorities expanded as well. It is our job to be vigilant in the federal government, with our state and local partners on behalf of the American public, and we can assure their safety by reason of that vigilance. We deploy personnel, technology, and, if there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now, we are not aware of any. If we become aware of any, we will communicate accordingly and take appropriate action.”

In a subsequent interview with Stephanopoulos, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that he and his wife saw drones above his home in New Jersey just two days ago: “I can’t tell you the number of people that have come up to me concerned about it. To say this is not unusual activity, it’s just wrong .. When people see this kind of activity, it’s a newish technology to most people, and they’re worried about it and concerned. It’s a lack of communication from the government at the federal and state level that’s at fault here.”

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