Gov. Kathy Hochul is asking the federal government to allow states to have increased authority over drone detection and mitigation efforts.

This comes after a large number of mysterious drones were reported to have been flying over parts of New York, New Jersey and the East Coast late in 2024. 

While reports from last year turned out to be mostly drones approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, Hochul says New York needs to be able to track and protect itself from unmanned aerial systems, which are more commonly known as drones.

"Granting states the authority they need to improve detection and mitigation of UAS threats, in coordination with federal agencies, is no longer a matter of preference," Hochul said in a letter to President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders. "It is a matter of urgent concern."

Hochul is also asking the federal government to create a comprehensive strategy on detecting drone capabilities.

"We need a comprehensive federal strategy that not only dramatically improves drone detection capabilities nationally but also provides robust, multi-layered mitigation measures," Hochul said. "These detection and mitigation measures must first protect critical infrastructure like population centers, utilities, and military assets, but also be able to be swiftly deployed to areas of concern when necessary."