Tom Homan, the White House official overseeing border policy, announced on Sunday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers will begin wearing body cameras during vehicle stops. The directive, issued by ICE’s acting director, instructs officers to wear at least one camera whenever possible. Homan stated that the cameras would provide transparency regarding officer actions during enforcement operations.
The policy change follows two fatal shootings involving ICE agents earlier this month. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was killed in Maine and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed in Texas during traffic stops. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), neither man was the initial target of the enforcement actions. These incidents bring the total number of people shot by federal immigration officers during the current administration to 22.
Homan attributed the previous lack of body cameras to budget disputes with Congressional Democrats, citing the recent DHS shutdown. He also stated that criticism of the agency from political leaders has increased the danger of traffic stops for officers. Conversely, Democrats have previously requested funding for body cameras as a condition for DHS appropriations following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January.
Funding for immigration enforcement was recently secured through a legislative maneuver by Congressional Republicans, who allocated $75 billion for ICE and Border Patrol through September 2029. While DHS briefly paused vehicle stops following the Texas and Maine shootings, the administration has since resumed the practice.