According to a recent report, agents with the United States Border Patrol will no longer wear body cameras while they are in the field, citing safety concerns as the reason.
The report comes from NewsNation, which cited a statement from the Border Patrol. The statement noted that the change comes following a series of posts on social media that showed how to identify Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“All U.S. Border Patrol Agents will cease the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) in all operational environments,” the statement shared with NewsNation said.
The statement added that the new directive is “regarding a potential security risk,” alluding to the social media post.
“Pending completion of investigation and risk mitigation, all Agents will stand down the use of their BWCs [body worn cameras] until further notice. Additional guidance and information will be disseminated as it is received,” the statement added.
The posts discussing identifying the agents were made on Reddit, according to NewsNation. One user claimed that they could be identified using BLE Radar by F-Droid, a mobile application that scans for Bluetooth low-energy devices like phones, speakers, and smartwatches.
The posts say the devices can be tracked from a distance of 100 yards or more and can trigger improvised explosive device attacks.
The increased attention on Border Patrol and ICE agents comes as President Donald Trump’s immigration policy increases deportations of illegal immigrants.
ICE has been accomplishing this goal by using commercial databases, driver’s records, and utility records to find and deport non-citizens who are subject to removal, its website shares.
The deportation plans from the Trump administration have involved using military aircraft to fly migrants to their country of origin. He’s also recently moved to prepare Guantánamo Bay to house deported migrants.