Automatic gates and garage doors use photocell safety sensors as a legal safety feature: if the sensor beam is broken, dirty, misaligned, or facing direct sunlight, the system treats it as an obstruction and reverses or refuses to close, even with nothing in the way. Dust buildup on the sensor lenses is the most common cause in this climate.
We clean and realign the photocells first, and check the wiring and control board settings if cleaning does not fix it, rather than disabling the safety feature.