Kristi Noem orders immediate body camera deployment for Minneapolis federal officers after deadly shootings
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS will immediately deploy body cameras to every federal officer in the field in Minneapolis, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding allows.
The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of body camera use in federal immigration enforcement operations, as recent shootings in Minneapolis highlighted uneven policies across agencies and raised questions about transparency and accountability.
“I just spoke with @RealTomHoman @ICEdirector @CBPCommissioner,” Noem wrote on X. “Effective immediately, we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis.
“As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide,” she continued. “We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country. The most transparent administration in American history — thank you President Donald Trump.”
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Noem concluded with, “Make America Safe Again.”
Trump said Monday that the decision to deploy body cameras in Minneapolis was made by Noem, telling reporters he deferred to her judgment and said the devices are “generally” beneficial for law enforcement because they document encounters.
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Trump added that body cameras are “80% good for law enforcement,” arguing they help prevent false claims about what happens during encounters and said he was comfortable with the rollout if Noem wanted to move forward.
The issue has come into sharper focus in Minneapolis following recent immigration enforcement shootings, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who were wearing body cameras and the separate killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was not.
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Good, 37, was shot and killed by the ICE agent during a federal operation in south Minneapolis earlier this year.
ICE has been gradually rolling out body-worn cameras nationwide, including during recent high-profile arrests, but the team involved in the operation that led to Good’s death did not have the devices equipped, sources said.
Persistent gaps in camera deployment across federal immigration operations have raised questions about consistency and accountability.
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