Minneapolis, Trump approves bodycam for Dhs and ICE officers
President supports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's decision, while Democrats tie Department of Homeland Security refinancing to guarantees of transparency after recent killings during federal operations
The US government has announced that all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) field agents operating in Minneapolis, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will be equipped with wearable cameras (body-cams) effective immediately, in response to the wave of protests and criticism following the recent shootings of civilians. The measure, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, comes after at least two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, were killed by federal agents.
Noem described the adoption of body-cams as a step towards greater transparency, pointing out that the footage can help clarify what happens in high-risk operations and accurately reconstruct clashes between officers and protesters. The announcement came in the aftermath of democratic lawmakers' demands for stricter conditions for the refinancing of the Dhs, including the mandatory adoption of body cameras for officers and restrictions on the use of force.
President Donald Trump expressed support for the decision, while pointing out that it was not his direct initiative and that he leaves the choice to Secretary Noem, stating that "they generally tend to be helpful to law enforcement because they prevent lying about what happened".
The decision comes after widespread demonstrations in the US against the feds' practices, particularly after the deaths of two people - Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti - during immigration control operations. Videos of the two incidents, posted online, have called into question the official versions provided by the Dhs and helped fuel criticism of the federal forces' handling.
