Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that shows of force are no longer enough for the left, now they want receipts. ICE and CBP agents operating in Minneapolis will immediately begin wearing body cameras during immigration enforcement operations, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding becomes available.
Noem made the announcement on X after discussions with White House border czar Tom Homan, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. Her message was simple and direct. Transparency cuts both ways, and the administration has nothing to hide.
“Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” Noem wrote, adding that DHS will “rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras” nationwide as resources allow. She framed the move as part of President Trump’s broader push for the most transparent administration in American history.
According to DHS guidance, officers are required to activate cameras at the start of enforcement actions and keep them running until the operation is complete. There are limited exceptions for operational security or sensitive investigative concerns, but the default is clear documentation. That is not an accident. It is a direct response to the constant stream of exaggerated or outright false claims made about ICE encounters.
President Trump backed the move during a White House event, noting that body cameras tend to be good for law enforcement because “people can’t lie about what’s happening.” He estimated they are “80 percent good” for officers, helping document reality and shut down manufactured scandals before they spiral into riots.
The timing is also political, whether Democrats like it or not. DHS funding remains a sticking point in ongoing negotiations, with the department operating under a two week stopgap measure while the rest of the government is funded through the fiscal year. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have been pushing body cameras as part of a list of so called reforms, alongside demands to unmask agents and impose warrant requirements.
Republicans have drawn a clear line. Body cameras are one thing. Handcuffing agents with warrant mandates that would effectively end deportations is another. Senator Ron Johnson summed it up bluntly, saying such requirements would “neuter” immigration enforcement.
What makes this move especially notable is that it is not a concession extracted under threat. ICE funding for deportations is already secured through the Big Beautiful Bill passed last July. An extended shutdown cannot stop removals. This is the administration choosing transparency on its own terms, not surrendering authority.
Democrats have spent years accusing ICE of operating in the shadows. Now that cameras are rolling, that excuse disappears. If agents act professionally, the footage will show it. If activists lie, the footage will show that too.
This policy does not weaken enforcement. It strengthens it. And it makes one thing unavoidable. The truth will be on video, whether critics like it or not.
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