In a significant policy shift, federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will now be equipped with body cameras, as announced by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
This decision follows the tragic deaths of two American citizens during operations conducted by ICE and CBP agents in Minneapolis.
“Starting immediately, all field officers in Minneapolis will wear body cameras,” Noem shared on the social media platform X. Her statement came after discussions with White House border czar Tom Homan, ICE Director Todd Lyons, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott.
Noem further mentioned, in light of Congressional pressure over government funding and DHS budget constraints, “As more funds become available, we aim to roll out the body camera initiative nationwide. Our goal is to swiftly equip all DHS law enforcement officers across the country with these cameras.”
The initiative comes after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a mother and poet, by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, in Minnesota, followed by the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of CBP agents on January 24 in Minneapolis.
Both tragic events were documented through various recordings made by bystanders capturing the confrontations between federal immigration officers and anti-ICE demonstrators.
Noem has deflected the blame for Good and Pretti’s deaths, saying Democratic leaders have not complying with federal immigration enforcement operations. But a new Daily Mail poll conducted by JL Partners shows 53 percent of Americans blame Trump and DHS for the proliferation of violence in Minnesota.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on Monday that all federal agents in Minneapolis will now wear body cameras
Thousands have taken to the streets in Minneapolis to protest immigration operations that turned deadly for two American citizens in Minnesota last month
Only 35 percent of respondents said that Democratic politicians and liberal protesters are at fault.
Additionally, Trump did not jump to Noem’s defense after she called Pretti, a VA ICU nurse, a ‘domestic terrorist.’ Instead he pulled her from internal immigration enforcement and refocused her job on border security, according to multiple reports.
The President then deployed Homan to Minneapolis and put him in charge of the boiling situation there.
Trump did affirm his support for body camera use in Minnesota on Monday.
‘It wasn’t my decision, I leave it to her,’ he told reporters in the Oval Office. ‘They generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can’t lie about what’s happening. So it’s, generally speaking, I think, 80 percent good for law enforcement.’
‘If she wants to do it, I’m OK with it.’
Reports emerged that there is body camera footage of the incident with Pretti, but it appears Noem and DHS want to make sure all agents are equipped with the technology they feel might defend any use of force.
That video from the officers’ perspective has not been made public and it’s unclear if it was shared yet with investigators. The administration has also not committed to releasing that footage.
Violent clashes have continued between federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota and those protesting their immigration enforcement operations
To clear up confusion surround Pretti’s death, lawmakers have called for it to be turned over or shred publicly.
The 37-year-old was conceal carrying a firearm, which he allegedly has a legal permit to do in the state of Minnesota. Video appears to show Pretti being disarmed by one of the at least eight federal law enforcement officers surrounding him in a clash last month. He was shot and killed, and at least 10 shots can be heard being discharged in bystander video.
He died on scene.
While no body camera footage of the incident with Good was released, cell phone camera video taken by the shooting agent, Jonathan Ross, was made public and shows his perspective.
There has been more widespread and administrative backing justifying Ross’ shooting of Good. That is not the case with Pretti.
