Trump Administration Deploys Body Cameras to All Federal Officers in Minneapolis

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration announced Monday that all federal immigration and homeland security officers operating in Minneapolis will now be equipped with body-worn cameras, a move officials say will increase transparency and protect law enforcement amid rising tensions and political scrutiny.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the deployment is effective immediately and will expand nationwide as funding becomes available.

“Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” Noem said in a post on social media, adding that the program would soon extend across the country. She described the move as further evidence that the Trump administration is “the most transparent administration in American history.”

President Donald Trump told reporters the decision was made by Noem, expressing support for the move and noting that body cameras generally benefit officers in the field.

“They tend to be good for law enforcement because people can’t lie about what’s happening,” Trump said. “Generally speaking, I think it’s good for law enforcement. If she wants to do that, I’m OK with it.”

The announcement comes amid heightened controversy surrounding a surge of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, which has sent roughly 3,000 additional agents into the state. Minneapolis has become a focal point following revelations of large-scale public fraud linked to the Somali expatriate community, sparking intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and subsequent anti-ICE protests.

The enforcement effort has drawn national attention after the deaths of two U.S. citizens during encounters with immigration authorities, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that agents involved in Pretti’s shooting were wearing body cameras, producing footage from multiple angles.

In response to the fallout, White House border czar Tom Homan was dispatched to Minneapolis to oversee operations. Homan has since said he is working on a plan to draw down the federal presence, contingent on greater cooperation from state and local authorities in turning over deportation targets held in jails and prisons.

Noem said the body-camera decision was made in coordination with Homan, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. She emphasized that DHS would “rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras” nationwide as resources allow.

The move also intersects with an ongoing funding battle in Congress. Democrats have demanded mandatory body cameras for immigration agents as part of negotiations over a short-term Department of Homeland Security funding extension, alongside proposals requiring judicial warrants for arrests, banning masks for agents, and creating a uniform federal code of conduct. House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing a broader funding package while allowing additional time for negotiations over DHS policy restrictions.

Civil-rights groups have long advocated for body-worn cameras, arguing they can reduce volatile encounters and provide accountability. DHS agencies have experimented with the technology before, with CBP launching a pilot program in 2021 and ICE later deploying cameras to select special reaction teams, though adoption has not been universal.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized the administration’s actions, saying body cameras should have been mandated earlier. He also denounced the presence of masked and camouflaged federal agents in the state, comments that administration officials have dismissed as politically motivated.

Trump administration officials maintain that the Minneapolis enforcement surge was necessary to combat fraud and criminal activity and argue that body cameras will protect both officers and the public by providing clear, objective records of encounters.

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