Federal immigration agents deployed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will soon be equipped with body cameras, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday.
The decision follows widespread criticism after the deaths of two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, during a surge of federal immigration officers in the Minneapolis area. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X, “Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis.”
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled Pretti’s death on January 24 a homicide, noting that he suffered “multiple gunshot wounds” fired by one or more law enforcement officers and died at the Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room. The two agents involved reportedly wore body cameras and have been placed on leave. The US Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death.
Noem said that once funding is secured, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide. The announcement comes amid a partial government shutdown, with Democrats calling for immigration reforms, including body cameras, as part of any funding deal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains the highest-funded US law enforcement agency, with Congress allocating $80 billion last year.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in, stating that body cameras “generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can’t lie about what’s happening,” adding that they are “80% good for law enforcement.”
In response to the shootings, the Trump administration replaced US Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino in Minneapolis with border tsar Tom Homan, who has been meeting with local officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Michael Frey, to address tensions. Walz and Frey have called for a full withdrawal of federal agents from the city, citing the controversial immigration surge and the city’s sanctuary policy.
More than 3,000 federal immigration officers have been deployed to Minnesota in recent weeks as part of the federal crackdown on illegal immigration. Local officials have said they will cooperate with federal authorities selectively, while prioritising public safety and local law enforcement responsibilities.
