Shortly after immigration agents killed two U.S.citizens in Minneapolis in January, the Department of Homeland Security vowed to quickly deploy body cameras for officers across the country.
But nearly six months later, those plans have not fully materialized.In recent days, federal immigration agents fatally shot two immigrant fathers.DHS accused Lorenzo Salgado Araujo of weaponizing his car and trying to run over an agent in Texas, while the agency accused Joan Durán Guerrero of being a public safety threat while attempting to flee in Maine.None of the federal officers involved were wearing body cameras, the agency said.This has prompted lawmakers, including U.S.
Sen.Susan Collins, R-Maine, to renew their calls on DHS to deploy body cameras as soon as possible."This incident shows how imperative it is that we have a mandate for body-worn cameras," Collins told reporters Tuesday.
"That not only protects the law enforcement officer, but also those with whom he or she is interacting."Lauren Bonds, the executive director of the nonprofit National Police Accountability Project, told NPR body-worn cameras are an important accountability tool, particularly when probing law enforcement misconduct."They have been particularly important in exposing excessive force and contradicting false narratives that officers write in their incident reports," Bonds said."They have been a game changer in proving civil rights claims."While talking to reporters Tuesday, White House Border Czar Tom Homan said "hundreds" of cameras were purchased and sent to Minnesota following the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti."But there wasn't enough cameras to outfit every ICE agent, I was waiting up for more money," Homan said.Money provided by congressional Republicans last year made ICE the highest funded federal law enforcement agency.
At the start of the year, top DHS officials urged lawmakers to provide funding specifically for purchasing and training on the use of more body cameras.Mo...