According to ABC News, White House border czar Tom Homan said Monday that he wants body cameras on ICE officers “as soon as possible,” as the Department of Homeland Security faces growing pressure to speed up the rollout following two deadly shootings this month.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Homan said body cameras had been purchased for officers nationwide and that, as of last week, ICE was “training the trainers” on how to teach officers to use them, according to his remarks.
When a reporter asked why the Trump administration had rolled back an effort by the Biden administration to get body cameras on officers, Homan responded, “That’s a question above me.”
Homan points to shutdown as reason for delay
DHS reportedly promised months ago to equip ICE agents with body cameras. Questions about the pace of that rollout resurfaced this month after ICE officers who were not wearing cameras killed two people, one in Maine and one in Houston. Neither person killed was the intended target of the enforcement operation.
Homan has attributed the pace of the rollout to Democrats in Congress, claiming that the spring government shutdown delayed funding needed for the equipment. “That’s a question above me. I’m just telling you, when I came back and, you know, then when Democrats shut the government down, I was a part of that negotiation team up on the Hill,” he said.
Homan said Monday that it took significant time and resources for ICE to hire staff, build storage capability, and prepare for an expected increase in Freedom of Information Act requests once the cameras were put into use. “As soon as possible, if I had it my way,” he said, when asked about the timeline for full deployment.
A group of Democratic senators, along with Maine independent Sen. Angus King, pushed back on that explanation in a letter sent Sunday to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The senators claimed DHS “has had more than sufficient time and funding” to distribute the cameras, according to the letter.
The senators said acting ICE director David Venturella had told members of Congress that the cameras would be in place by the end of July, and said they viewed that timeline “not as a projection, but as a firm, binding commitment,” according to the letter. Rep. Sylvia Garcia reportedly said recently that Venturella made the same promise to her.
The practice of vehicle stops, which was reportedly the type of operation involved in both deadly shootings this month, has drawn particular scrutiny. DHS suspended most vehicle stops early last week, but Trump reportedly overturned that decision less than 24 hours later. DHS suspended most vehicle stops after shootings in Maine and Texas.
Homan confirmed Monday that all vehicle stops must now involve at least one officer with a working body camera, and that officers would be required to keep their cameras on for the duration of the stop. He maintained that no other policy changes were planned for officers.
Homan declined to answer questions about the vetting of the ICE officer who shot Johan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine last week, saying the matter was under investigation. “That’s a question for ICE. That’s under investigation. I’m sure that part now is part of the investigation,” Homan said, referring to the officer’s alleged history. “We’ll let the investigation play out.”
“I can’t speak for everyone in the administration, but quality agents are very important,” Homan added. “If you’re going to give somebody a badge and gun, they need to be the best they can be.”
Homan also denied a report from The New York Times that claimed the FBI would no longer be involved in investigating assaults on ICE officers. The FBI and DHS said in a joint statement that the report was “false” and that the “FBI will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy.”
“The FBI is still going to continue to lead shooting investigations. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not aware of any change in policy, and I think the FBI and DHS actually pushed back on that story,” Homan said Monday.
Published: Jul 21, 2026 10:45 am