Federal Immigration Officers in Minneapolis Now Required to Wear Body Cameras

Tue Feb 03 2026 15:16:30 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In the wake of recent fatalities linked to federal immigration enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security mandates body cameras for agents in Minneapolis.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that all federal immigration officers operating in Minneapolis will be equipped with body cameras, effective immediately. This decision follows public outcry over the recent deaths of two U.S. citizens, highlighting concerns about federal authority and safety. The cameras aim to increase accountability among officers during enforcement actions, particularly amidst a climate of heightened scrutiny over immigration enforcement practices.

Federal immigration agents deployed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will soon receive body cameras, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says.

The announcement comes as the government faces a backlash over the deaths last month of two US citizens - Alex Pretti and Renee Good - following a surge of federal immigration officers into the Minneapolis area as part of an immigration crackdown.

Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X on Monday.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has ruled Pretti's 24 January death a homicide. Homicide refers to the killing of a person by another person. It does not necessarily signify that a crime has occurred. Monday's report by the medical examiner said Pretti had suffered multiple gunshot wounds fired by one or more law enforcement officers. It added that he died in the emergency room at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

According to US Customs and Border Protection, the two agents involved in Pretti's death wore body cameras. They have been placed on leave, the agency said. The US Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti's death.

Noem stated that once funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide.

The US is currently experiencing a partial government shutdown as Democrats continue to demand immigration reforms, including body cameras, as part of any funding deal to reopen the government. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is currently the highest funded U.S. law enforcement agency, having received $80bn last year.

President Donald Trump expressed support for body cameras in law enforcement, saying they generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can't lie about what's happening. In the wake of Pretti's shooting, the Trump administration replaced the US border patrol chief in Minneapolis with border tsar Tom Homan.

Homan has met local leaders to discuss calming tensions since Pretti and Good's deaths. Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Michael Frey have called for a complete withdrawal of federal agents from the area, expressing concerns regarding the continued presence of federal officers, citing issues related to a local sanctuary city policy that limits city employee interactions with immigration enforcement.