ICE Agents Finally Get Body Cameras After Years of Playing Hide and Seek
KEY POINTS
- •Half of ICE's U.S. field offices now have body cameras, with plans to outfit all within 60 days.
- •Kristi Noem ordered immediate body camera use in Minneapolis after shootings, sparking expanded efforts.
- •Congress allocated $20 million in April to speed up camera deployment, but critics call progress slow.
In a masterclass of 'better late than never,' ICE has equipped half its U.S. field offices with body cameras, aiming to outfit all offices in 60 days. The move comes after a year marked by deadly shootings, including Minneapolis in February, followed by tragedies in Texas and Maine where agents wore no cameras at all. Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem jumped on the camera bandwagon in February, fast-tracking deployment after a years-long pilot starting in 2021, which saw 1,600 cameras distributed by 2024. After Congress chipped in a modest $20 million in April, Border Czar Tom Homan proudly proclaimed the agency was 'moving as quickly as possible,' clarifying they ordered cameras as soon as cash hit the bank. Not everyone’s buying the excuses—Rep. Sylvia Garcia rightly called blaming government shutdowns 'ludicrous' despite the shiny budget earmark. Meanwhile, ICE promises every arrest team has a camcorder-wearing agent, because surveillance is the new black.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)ICE took years and $20 million to give half their agents body cams, mostly after fatal shootings. Turns out, 'moving quickly' in federal time is a whole different speed—still waiting on the other half to get the memo.
ICE: proving that a deadly shooting is our idea of a really slow catalyst for tech upgrades since 2021.
Buying body cameras after fatal police encounters is like locking the barn after the horse tweets about it.
Source: Axios | Published: 7/16/2026 | Author: Brittany Gibson
More Articles in US News
Government Considers Letting Couples Wed Literally Anywhere Except a Courthouse Bathroom
US Navy’s AI-First Fleet Promises Faster Battles and Less Paperwork Panic
America Celebrates 250 Years Of Bars Outlasting Democracy
Family Tries 10 Days in One Hotel Room, Survives By Avoiding Touching
Trump Turns Wildlife Officers Into Deportation Task Force With $240B Playbook
Kevin O'Leary Calls Utah Critics Chinese Spies, Forgets Evidence, Gets Sued
