ICE agents kill two men as body-camera rollout stalls
Two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers shot dead a construction worker in Texas and a man in Maine within a week, and neither was wearing a body camera despite a February policy requiring their use.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers shot and killed a 52-year-old construction worker in Houston on July 7 and a 26-year-old man in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13. Both incidents occurred during traffic stops that agents said were justified because the individuals threatened officers, though witnesses disputed the agencies’ accounts.
The shootings have prompted protests in both cities and led the Trump administration to issue an order on July 14 aimed at limiting ICE traffic stops, according to Reuters sources.
ICE officials confirmed that the officers involved were not wearing body cameras, even though the department issued a policy on Feb. 19 mandating their use during immigration enforcement. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told USA Today that the rollout was delayed by “back-to-back Democrat shutdowns.”
“It is extremely unfortunate that the ICE officer involved in the Maine shooting wasn’t wearing a body camera,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), adding that Democrats were responsible for the delay.
“They were given $20 million just for this purpose,” Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) told reporters, calling the shutdown explanation “ludicrous.”
“ICE has nearly infinite resources at its disposal … yet this administration still sends ICE agents into the field without body cameras,” Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) said, describing the rollout as “truly shameful.”
Researchers and legal experts noted that the lack of video evidence allows ICE to shape the narrative of such incidents. Emmanuel Mauleón, a law professor, said the agency’s reluctance to equip agents with cameras “gives them a lot more leeway to shape the narrative.”
The agency’s body-camera program remains limited. In March, former acting ICE chief Todd Lyons told Congress that fewer than 3,000 of the roughly 13,000 officers had cameras, and DHS later said more than half of field offices had received devices, with the remainder expected within 60 days.
A separate case in Chicago demonstrated the potential impact of body-camera footage: video from a nearby officer contradicted an agent’s claim that the victim had rammed agents, leading to the dismissal of charges against the victim.
The incidents highlight ongoing concerns about accountability and transparency in federal immigration enforcement.