US immigration agents in Minneapolis will wear body cameras after fatal shootings of protesters, as Democrats demand reforms amid a partial government shutdown.
WASHINGTON: US immigration agents in Minneapolis will be equipped with body cameras following the fatal shootings of two protesters.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the move as Democrats demand equipment changes and other enforcement reforms, holding up federal funds to press their demands.
“Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” DHS Secretary Krisi Noem said on X.
She added that the body camera program would be expanded nationwide as funding becomes available.
The US government is currently in a partial shutdown following a breakdown in spending negotiations.
Democratic anger over the killings has fuelled the impasse, with the party demanding changes to how DHS conducts its immigration operations.
Democrats want to ban agents from wearing masks and require judicial warrants prior to arrests and detentions.
Immigration agents shot and killed US citizens Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24.
The shootings occurred as protests rocked Minneapolis, a city targeted in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.