Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem just announced in a tweet Monday afternoon that every Homeland Security officer on the ground, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras.
Noem said she "just spoke with Border Czar Tom Homan," who is overseeing federal immigration operations in Minnesota, and that effective immediately, they are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis.
She says as funding is available the body camera program will be expanded nationwide and they will rapidly acquire and deploy them to DHS law enforcement everywhere.
“We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,” Noem said in the social media post.
The news of the body cameras comes as Minneapolis has been the site of intense scrutiny over the conduct of immigration enforcement agents.
There have been increased calls by critics of Homeland Security to require all of the department’s officers who are responsible for immigration enforcement to wear body cameras.
President Joe Biden ordered in 2022 that federal law enforcement officers wear body cameras as part of an executive order that included other policing reform measures.
President Donald Trump had rescinded that directive after starting his second term.
The change comes after three people in Minneapolis have been shot by federal officials, including Renee Good and Alex Pretti who were both killed.