ICE officials commit to releasing Minnesota bodycam footage

The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency will release footage from body cameras that are being deployed to thousands of agents on the ground in Minnesota for Operation Metro Surge.

Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, told members of the House Homeland Security Committee on Feb. 10 that he welcomed body cameras “all across the spectrum in all of our law enforcement activities” and vowed transparency from the agency in releasing videos.

The heads of three immigration agencies were grilled by members of the committee following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. The committee’s Republican Chairman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, scheduled the hearing shortly after the Jan. 24 shooting of Pretti.

Much of the hearing focused on the actions of federal immigration agents in Minnesota.

“We have seen state and local jurisdictions protect federal law enforcement officers, and obviously, we have now seen the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota. This is all unacceptable and preventable,” Garbarino said.

In hours of questioning and testimony, officials vowed more transparency with the public while also pushing back on some demands.

Lyons would not say whether anyone has been fired from the agency following the shootings of Good and Pretti and repeatedly refused to answer other questions related to their deaths, citing the ongoing investigation by the agency.

Rodney Scott, the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, blamed “paid agitators” for the ongoing tension in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“Paid agitators are actively trying to stop law enforcement action,” Scott said. “Without that, you wouldn’t even have any idea most of these arrests were taking place.”

There’s no evidence that any of the Minnesota protesters are paid.

Lyons told members that as of today, 3,000 ICE agents across the country are equipped with body cameras and another 6,000 will be deployed. Scott said that 10,000 Border Patrol agents are now wearing body cameras and the agency is building out the program.

Officials also defended their tactics in detaining individuals, contradicting reports of arrests of U.S. citizens and allegations of racial profiling. Lyons said people in the United States legally “should not feel scared to walk down the street.”

Garbarino tried to strike a balance between praising law enforcement and underscoring the seriousness of Good’s and Pretti’s deaths.

At one point, Lyons was asked if he thought he was “going to hell” by committee member Rep. LaMonica Mclver. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee’s ranking member, accused DHS of having the “blood of American citizens on its hand.”

Thompson condemned Noem for the agency’s response to the shootings.

“Donald Trump and Kristi Noem are doing real damage to this country and to the department that was stood up 25 years ago in the wake of 9/11 to protect American citizens from future attacks,” Thompson said. “Secretary Noem is a liar with no concern for the lives of Americans killed by the department she runs. She must go.”