ICE rolls out body cameras, but policy lets agency decide which footage goes public

ICE to soon equip officers with body cameras. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to equip its field officers nationwide with body-worn cameras by the end of September, following growing scrutiny over fatal shootings involving immigration enforcement officers.According to the Associated Press, ICE’s body-camera policy gives the agency broad discretion over the release of footage, requiring videos of shootings and other serious encounters to be made public only when officials determine that doing so is in the agency’s “best interests.”ICE director can delay or block footageUnder the policy, officers are required to activate cameras during routine enforcement activities, including arrests, search warrants and emergencies.Following shootings or other serious confrontations, a committee comprising senior ICE officials and lawyers reviews the footage and recommends whether it should be released.If approved, footage could be released within 72 hours. However, the ICE director can block or indefinitely delay its release if “specific and compelling circumstances” are cited, according to the policy.Experts raise transparency concernsThe policy has drawn criticism from expert...