Every Homeland Security officer in Minneapolis is now being issued a body-worn camera, Noem says

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that all Department of Homeland Security officers operating in Minneapolis will immediately be issued body-worn cameras, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The move comes as a direct response to the recent shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal agents, incidents that have sparked widespread protests and criticism.

“We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,” Noem stated on social media platform X, noting that the program would expand nationwide as funding becomes available.

The announcement represents the latest effort by the Trump administration to address tensions in Minneapolis, where federal immigration enforcement activities have come under intense scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two American citizens who were protesting these operations.

The more recent incident involved ICU nurse Alex Pretti, whose death triggered immediate controversy. In the aftermath, Noem initially claimed that Pretti “came with a weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition and attacked” officers, who were forced to “defend their lives.” Other administration officials echoed similar narratives.

However, multiple videos that subsequently emerged contradicted these official statements. The footage showed Pretti holding only a mobile phone when officers tackled him to the ground. One officer removed a handgun from Pretti’s pants while another officer fired shots into his back.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, at least four Customs and Border Protection officers present during Pretti’s shooting were wearing body cameras, though this footage has not been made public. The department has repeatedly avoided questions about whether ICE officers involved in the January killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, were wearing cameras during that incident.

The shooting deaths and the administration’s initial narrative prompted demands for accountability from across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump responded by dispatching his border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to oversee operations, replacing Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who has faced criticism for his involvement in enforcement operations in cities including Chicago and Los Angeles.

The Justice Department has launched a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s shooting, though no similar probe has been announced for Good’s death.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz responded critically to Noem’s announcement, stating on X that body cameras should have been worn “long before (officers) killed two Americans.”

The timing of Noem’s decision coincides with ongoing congressional negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been pushing for restrictions on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations as part of these discussions. The Senate recently approved a bipartisan federal funding package that included an additional $20 million for body cameras, but the House has yet to pass this legislation, resulting in a partial government shutdown that began Saturday.

Despite the funding lapse, many Homeland Security operations continue as they are classified as essential services.

Body cameras have been a contentious issue in previous immigration enforcement actions under Trump’s mass deportations agenda. During a major operation in Chicago last fall, a U.S. district judge ordered uniformed agents to wear cameras when available and activate them during arrests, frisks, building searches, and protest deployments.

President Biden had previously directed federal law enforcement officers to wear body cameras in a 2022 executive order on police reform, but Trump rescinded this directive after beginning his second term.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump endorsed Noem’s decision while suggesting body cameras generally benefit law enforcement. “They generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can’t lie about what’s happening,” he said. “If she wants to do the camera thing, that’s OK with me.”

Critics argue that the department already has sufficient resources to implement this policy nationwide immediately. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council advocacy group, pointed to the nearly $30 billion allocated to ICE last summer for “enforcement and removal operations,” including information technology spending. “That buys a lot of body cameras,” he noted.