U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will finish equipping all field officers and agents with body-worn cameras by the end of August, ahead of schedule, amid growing scrutiny over recent fatal shootings.
Rollout Moves Ahead Of Schedule
Acting Director David Venturella confirmed the timeline Saturday. He pushed back on media characterizations of ICE’s camera policy, saying “ICE policy permits expedited release when appropriate” but “it’s not appropriate to release footage when doing so could compromise investigations or privacy.”
Venturella added the agency is “on track to equip every officer and agent in the field with body-worn cameras by the end of August, ahead of our original timeline.”
Fatal Shootings Fueled Pressure For Accountability
The push follows the killings of two U.S. citizens during a Minnesota immigration operation, after which then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said cameras would roll out nationwide “as funding is available.”
Fatal shootings last month at traffic stops in Maine and Texas triggered protests.
The rollout also follows Border czar Tom Homan mandating that ICE officers record all vehicle stops using at least one body camera.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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