DHS pledged body cams for all immigration agents. Months later, that hasn't happened

DHS Reports Partial Rollout of Body Cameras for Immigration Agents Following Recent Incidents

A federal agent wears a body camera as they patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on March 04, 2026 in New York City.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America

Shortly after immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January, the Department of Homeland Security stated plans to deploy body cameras for officers across the country. Nearly six months later, the agency reports that cameras have reached more than half of ICE field offices, with the remainder scheduled for delivery within 60 days, alongside a policy requiring at least one equipped officer on every arrest team.

In recent days, federal immigration agents fatally shot two individuals during enforcement actions. DHS stated that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo weaponized his car in an attempt to strike an agent in Texas. The agency separately stated that Joan Durán Guerrero posed a public safety threat while attempting to flee in Maine. None of the federal officers involved wore body cameras during those encounters, according to DHS.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, renewed calls for mandatory body-worn cameras. "This incident shows how imperative it is that we have a mandate for body-worn cameras," Collins told reporters. "That not only protects the law enforcement officer, but also those with whom he or she is interacting."

Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, described body-worn cameras as a tool for accountability in investigations of law enforcement conduct. "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."

White House Border Czar Tom Homan stated that hundreds of cameras were purchased and sent to Minnesota after the January 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.

Congressional Republicans provided funding last year that made ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency. DHS officials requested additional funds specifically for body camera purchases and training. Congress later allocated $31 billion for technology, including body cameras, though lawmakers did not enact a requirement that ICE purchase or use them.

DHS attributed delays in full distribution to government shutdowns. "The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats (and) multiple government shutdowns," the agency said in a statement. DHS did not provide exact figures on current camera inventory or additional purchases planned with the new funding.

David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, stated that DHS comments indicate body cameras are not a priority. "They don't want to have their agents' actions broadcast and have that video out there — they are wearing masks for a reason, they don't want their identities and their information made public," Bier said. He added that DHS has discretionary funds available for equipment purchases. "Even after multiple deaths where body camera footage would have been relevant they have not implemented the requirement," Bier said.

Homan stated that a deployment schedule exists and that agents in various field offices are receiving training. DHS reported that half of field offices currently have body cameras and the rest will receive them within 60 days. The agency also described body cameras as a priority "especially given the increase in attacks against our law enforcement" and noted that "the media and sanctuary politicians consistently spread smears about our law enforcement."

Bonds stated that body cameras do not prevent misconduct. "Officers have learned to not activate cameras or delete footage when they do something wrong," Bonds said. "Accordingly, the best way to stop ICE brutality is to limit officer interactions with the public."

Bystander video from the January Minneapolis incidents showed discrepancies with initial DHS statements that Good and Pretti were domestic terrorists attempting to harm agents. Surveillance footage from the more recent Texas and Maine incidents has provided additional details on the moments before the shootings. "Luckily in both instances, there were witnesses, independent witnesses, that observed some things and were able to share some information — have been sharing information with the public," Bonds said. "But it's really hard to be able to hold ICE agents accountable in any manner if all we're getting from DHS right now is kind of vague statements."

DHS has not released specific data on the total number of body cameras acquired to date or the exact timeline for completing training across all offices. The agency maintains that distribution to remaining field offices will conclude within the stated 60-day window.