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By Jon Jackson and Rachel Dobkin
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, shared a letter on Friday he sent to President Joe Biden that requested more federal resources to investigate unexplained drone sightings in his state.
"The continued reporting of UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] activity has raised more questions than answers and prompted an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms," Murphy said in the letter dated Thursday, which he shared on X (formerly Twitter).
New Jersey State Police have been getting reports of UAS sightings over New Jersey since November 18, according to Murphy's letter. While the state has been getting help from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), "it has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity," Murphy wrote in the letter.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Friday afternoon.
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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas previously briefed Murphy's administration and New Jersey's Congressional delegation "on actions the agency would take to learn more about the reported UAS activity."
But Murphy said that the people of New Jersey "deserve more concrete information" about the drone sightings, including what is causing them.
Murphy urged Biden "to continue to direct the federal agencies involved to work together until they uncover answers as to what is behind the UAS sightings," while offering New Jersey's state police and Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) to assist federal workers "in any capacity."
The governor also has supported the Biden administration's push for Congress to extend counter-UAS flexibilities to state and local police and to support additional funding for these activities.
"I am encouraged that consensus in Congress is building around providing these additional authorities, which will be necessary as New Jersey prepares to host the FIFA World Cup Final in less than two years," Murphy wrote in the letter.
FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, announced in February that the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19, 2026. Besides the U.S., Mexico and Canada will host games in the tournament. The opening match will be on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, according to FIFA.
Murphy showed concern that a looming government shutdown could end the federal government's counter-UAS authority, which allows New Jersey officials to work alongside their federal partners to work to identify the source of the UAS flying over New Jersey, in another letter dated Thursday to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) that has kept the lights on after U.S. lawmakers failed to pass a budget for the new fiscal year by late September. The CR funds the government until December 20. The federal government's counter-UAS authority will lapse alongside the CR on December 20 if Congress fails to act.
"As New Jersy works alongside our federal partners to identify the sources of these UAS, the clock is ticking on the authorization language that enables us to do so," Murphy said. "State and local law enforcement entities lack the authority and capability to counter and mitigate UAS, which would significantly hamper our ability to understand what is happening, so it is of utmost importance that this language is reauthorized in a timely manner."
Murphy also encouraged Congressional leaders to "empower" state and local police with "the ability to use advanced detection and mitigation technology."
Update 12/13/24 1:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 12/14/24 1:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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