ICE pushes back on report suggesting body cameras that automatically record

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a United States agency that has taken a central role in President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign, has rejected a administration report calling for its agents to wear body cameras that automatically activate.

Key points

• The New York Times estimated in July that immigration agents had opened fire on at least 25 individuals since the start of Trump's second term.
• In January, two US citizens – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – were shot to death in separate shootings in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during immigration operations.
• More lately, on October 8, immigration agents shot a man named Oscar Belgal in New York City while his five-year-old son was in the backseat of his car.
• Earlier this year, Democrats in Congress delayed funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
• On Wednesday, the Administration Accountability Office, a nonpartisan agency that provides research to Congress, issued a report recommending an update to ICE guidelines for camera usage.

It suggested that "automated camera activation" would be helpful in situations where "unexpected and unplanned incidents, unrelated to sensitive operations, result in use of force by or against personnel".

"Given the important role of body-worn cameras in law enforcement activities, we maintain that additional controls are needed to help ensure that ICE personnel capture footage in accordance with policy, " the report remarked.

Automatic activation, it continued, would address difficulties ICE agents face in manually turning on their cameras during enforcement operations.

But ICE has rejected the recommendation for automatic activation. It could be triggered by an agent pulling a gun or turning on a car siren. The agency cited privacy reservations.

But the Trump administration faces public pressure to improve transparency during its immigration raids.

Agents from ICE and other agencies such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have faced accusations of excessive force and civil liberties violations.

Meanwhile, the New York Times estimated in July that immigration agents had opened fire on at least 25 individuals since the start of Trump's second term. A CBS News review updated this week counts at least 30 shootings, with nine individuals killed and 13 others wounded.

ICE has often blamed such incidents on aggression against its agents, and it has argued that its officers have opened fire to defend themselves from danger. But in a number of cases, that rationale has come under scrutiny.

Critics argued that video footage in Good's fatal shooting disproved administration statements alleging that she had weaponised her vehicle against agents. Her car, according to observers, appeared to be turning away from agents, not towards them.

In another case, ICE agent Christian Castro was accused of making false statements regarding a shooting that resulted in injury to Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man living in Minneapolis.

After video footage contradicted his account, castro faces federal charges for allegedly lying regarding being attacked with a snow shovel and broom before the shooting. Castro pleaded not guilty last month.

More lately, on October 8, immigration agents shot a man named Oscar Belgal in New York City while his five-year-old son was in the backseat of his car. According to ICE, belgal appeared to be "going towards officers" in his car when they opened fire.

On Tuesday, a judge rejected the government's effort to have Belgal deported.

Activists say better recording procedures for body camera footage could support clarify what happened in such incidents.

But the Trump administration has largely refused to implement reforms to ICE protocol.

Earlier this year, Democrats in Congress delayed funding for the Department of Homeland Security. It oversees ICE, on the basis that significant changes needed to be created to reduce incidents of excessive force.

In practice, the department remarked on Wednesday that automatically recording cameras could result in "the unauthorised recording of sensitive interactions with informants or victims".

Meanwhile, the agency continued that all ICE offices had received body cameras as of August 5, but that training in their apply was still ongoing and would be finished "shortly".

For now, ICE pushes back on report suggesting body cameras that automatically record remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.