ICE to Equip All Field Agents With Body Cameras by August

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin shipping body-worn cameras to field offices next week, with the goal of equipping all nationwide field agents by the end of August. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the timeline following a meeting on July 30 with Acting ICE Director David Venturella.

The rollout follows the July 13 shooting death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, and a separate shooting in Texas that killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. At the request of Collins, the Department of Homeland Security will prioritize the delivery of equipment to Maine. Current agency policy now requires at least one officer to wear a body camera during any enforcement interaction or vehicle stop.

Funding for the equipment was provided through a $20 million appropriation secured by Collins in a spring funding package. Officials attributed previous distribution delays to a government shutdown. The broader appropriations bill also included $2 million for de-escalation training and $20 million for the oversight of immigration detention facilities. Following the Biddeford incident, immigration enforcement official Tom Homan questioned the vetting process of the agent involved.