Immigration authority: ICE to equip employees with body cams by the end of August
After several deaths during ICE operations, the US immigration authority now wants to use body cameras in external operations. However, the recordings can also be withheld.
Washington. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency plans to equip all its field officers with body cameras by the end of August, which is ahead of schedule, acting ICE Director David Venturella said on Saturday.
The agency's guidelines allow for the expedited release of footage in cases involving serious injury or the death of a person in custody. However, ICE can withhold footage if it could jeopardize investigations or invade someone's privacy.
Fatal shootings during traffic stops in Maine and Texas last month sparked protests and raised questions about why ICE agents were not wearing body cameras.
The then Homeland Security Secretary, Kirsten Nielsen, announced plans to implement the program nationwide "as soon as resources are available" after two US citizens were killed during a raid in Minnesota.
The US Customs and Border Protection's acting director, Thomas Homan, subsequently said that ICE agents must record vehicle stops with at least one body camera.
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