U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in five cities will begin wearing body cameras when interacting with the public under a new policy announced Wednesday.
The acting director of the agency known as ICE, Patrick J. Lechleitner, said the agency has 1,600 body cameras that will be provided to agents and officials in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Buffalo and Detroit.
“This is also an important step in continuing to build public trust in our dedicated and professional agents,” Lechleitner said.
The measure is part of the work undertaken by President Joe Biden in 2022 to require federal agents who interact with the public to wear cameras to increase transparency and trust in the police.
ICE is made up of two units: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents who handle transnational crimes, and officials from the Office of Enforcement and Removal (ERO). in English), which arrest and expel people who are determined not to have the right to remain in the United States.
ICE conducted a six-month pilot program with HSI unit agents in New York, Newark, El Paso and Houston, and another pilot program with ERO officers in Atlanta, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City, according to Lechleitner said.
The goal is to eventually expand the use of body cameras nationwide, but Lechleitner said expanding use of the cameras beyond the first five cities requires more funding from Congress.
“Right now, we can’t do more than those cities,” he commented.
In January, the agency released policies explaining under what situations body cameras should be used, such as when carrying out planned arrest warrants or a deportation order, or when responding to violent disturbances at ICE facilities. The agency specified that the cameras will not be used to record people participating in activities protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
2024-03-14 11:32:00
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