Federal immigration officers working in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will soon be required to wear body cameras, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The decision comes after public anger over the deaths of two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, last month during a major immigration enforcement operation in the city. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the change on social media on Monday. She said that body cameras would be issued immediately to all immigration officers operating in Minneapolis. She also said the program could be extended across the country once funding is approved.
The announcement follows the death of Alex Pretti on 24 January. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide. This means he was killed by another person, but it does not automatically mean a crime was committed. The report said Pretti was shot several times by one or more law enforcement officers and later died at a Minneapolis hospital. US Customs and Border Protection said the two officers involved were already wearing body cameras at the time. Both officers have been placed on leave while investigations continue.
The US Department of Justice has also launched a civil rights investigation into the incident. The issue has become part of a wider political dispute. The US government is now in its third day of a partial shutdown, as Democrats push for immigration reforms, including mandatory body cameras for officers, before agreeing to a funding deal. President Donald Trump said he supports the use of body cameras, stating they usually help law enforcement by showing what really happened during encounters.
After Pretti’s death, the administration replaced the local border patrol chief with Tom Homan, who is leading federal operations in the area. Homan met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Michael Frey to ease tensions. Both leaders have asked for federal agents to leave the city. More than 3,000 federal immigration officers have been deployed to Minnesota as part of a crackdown ordered by Trump, who has strongly focused on immigration enforcement.
