PREVIEW

Trump Administration Cut ICE Body Camera Funding And Oversight As Enforcement Expanded. The administration of Donald Trump moved to scale back funding for body cameras used by immigration officers, even as enforcement operations intensified in major U.S. cities. Officials urged Congress to slash funding for ICE’s body-camera program by 75 percent and freeze its expansion, running counter to broader law-enforcement trends toward increased video oversight. The cuts came as bystander footage captured fatal shootings of U.S. citizens during immigration operations in Minneapolis, challenging official accounts that portrayed those killed as aggressors. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched a limited body-camera pilot in 2024 across five cities, but expansion stalled and staffing was reduced from 22 employees to just three under proposed plans. Internal oversight was also weakened after roughly 300 staff across three DHS watchdog offices were placed on paid leave, sharply reducing the capacity to investigate abuse allegations. Complaints to the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman dropped dramatically as staffing collapsed, despite thousands of complaints in previous years. The White House defended officers’ conduct, arguing immigration agents act to protect communities, while critics said the absence of cameras and oversight fuels mistrust and impunity. Although the House rejected the proposed camera funding cuts and allocated $20 million for ICE and Border Patrol devices, the bill does not require officers to use them and faces uncertainty in the Senate.
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