All ICE agents in Maine now have body cameras, Susan Collins says
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said that as of Thursday afternoon all Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the state have body-worn cameras.
After Collins’ announcement, a spokesperson for Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said her office confirmed with local ICE leadership that body cameras had been distributed to agents in Maine.
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Collins also said the agents have been trained to use the bodycams.
“When I spoke with ICE Acting Director (David) Venturella last month, he committed to deliver body-worn cameras to ICE agents across the country by the end of August,” the Republican said in a written statement. “I urged him to prioritize Maine, and they have arrived more than two weeks ahead of schedule.”
When asked for confirmation that all ICE agents in Maine have received body-worn cameras, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, “ICE will ensure each arrest team has an individual wearing a body camera” but did not say anything specific to Maine.
The agency has received criticism because its agents did not have operable body-worn cameras during two fatal shootings in July, including the killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford.
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The body-worn cameras are “long overdue” and should have been in place before Durán Guerrero was killed, Pingree said in a statement Thursday.
The congresswoman also criticized ICE over its recent policy that indicates bodycam footage will only be released when it’s in the agency’s “best interest.”
“A camera on an agent’s vest only means accountability if it’s on during every operation, and every recording is preserved and shared,” Pingree said. “ICE cannot hide footage just because the truth makes the agency look bad.”
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A spokesperson for Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said his office had not received confirmation of body-worn cameras arriving for ICE officers in Maine. The spokesperson referred a reporter to a statement King made last week about the agency’s body-worn camera policy.
“(The) policy directive from ICE says the quiet part out loud: that ICE will only make public its body-worn camera footage if it reflects their version of events — and that they will withhold it otherwise,” King said last Friday. “Such a policy defeats the entire purpose of body-worn cameras, which is to have a clearer picture of exactly what happened in a difficult and controversial situation.”
King also criticized reports that DHS intends to invest in “electric shock gloves.”
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King said Thursday that the plan “begs a crucial question: is ICE genuinely focused on de-escalation or, what appears more likely, intimidation of anyone critical of their often unlawful conduct?”
The office of Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, did not immediately respond Thursday afternoon to an email seeking comment.
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A Maine Democratic Party spokesperson criticized Collins on Thursday for her past votes to fund ICE.
“As Susan Collins continues to try to play hero, Mainers won’t forget that she voted against body cameras and provided ICE with unprecedented levels of funding with no guardrails despite their lawless, violent behavior,” spokesperson Misha Linnehan said in a written statement. “Make no mistake — ICE has had a blank check to terrorize communities because Susan Collins gave it to them.”
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Tagged: Angus King, biddeford ice shooting, chellie pingree, ICE, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, jared golden, Susan Collins
Drew is the night reporter for the Portland Press Herald. He previously covered South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth for the Sentry, Leader and Southern Forecaster. Though he is from Massachusetts,. More by Drew Johnson
