Washington: Chinese-made drones would be phased out of U.S. law enforcement use under new legislation proposed by Representative Pat Harrigan over national security concerns.
Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican on House Armed Services Committee subcommittees, is pushing the American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act of 2026.
The bill would link federal grant funding to a requirement that police and other agencies stop buying foreign-made drones after January 1, 2027.
It would also allocate $1.5 billion to help agencies replace Chinese-made drones and support U.S.-based drone manufacturers. The funding would come from tariffs imposed under Section 301 trade measures.
Harrigan said U.S. agencies had relied on systems built by companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party. He called that reliance a “strategic mistake”.
The proposal reflects a wider Washington push to reduce dependence on Chinese technology in sensitive sectors. U.S lawmakers have raised similar concerns about Chinese drone makers, including DJI and Autel Robotics.
Drones now play a larger role in military operations, border security and policing. Harrigan said the war in Ukraine showed that drones had become a foundation of modern warfare.
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At the U.S.-Mexico border, agencies use drones to patrol large areas and support the detection of illegal crossings. A 2020 memorandum by then-U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott called for expanded unmanned technologies.
Federal Aviation Administration data showing DJI produced 879 of 966 drones registered to police and sheriff’s departments in Texas in 2024.
Harrigan said the United States must build its own drone capacity if drones remain central to national security, public safety and critical infrastructure.
