- United States
- Ariz.
- Letter
...Secretary Noem recently said that the body camera program for ICE agents will expand nationwide “as funding is available,” implying that DHS cannot afford to move forward without additional resources. The facts tell a different story.
...DHS routinely reallocates large sums of money when it chooses to prioritize other initiatives—such as increased enforcement operations, new aircraft, and promotional campaigns. When it comes to body cameras, DHS blames funding shortages instead of acknowledging its own spending priorities.
...The real issue is not a lack of money, but how DHS chooses to spend it. DHS is putting enforcement expansion ahead of public safety and accountability. This approach puts concern for Congress, the American people, and the rule of law last.
...Last summer, DHS received nearly $30 billion in enforcement funding—more than enough to support basic accountability measures. In the same period, DHS reprogrammed over $500 million from FEMA and USCIS programs into enforcement activities, demonstrating that funding is flexible when the department chooses to make it so. Against those figures, the cost of equipping every ICE agent with a body camera—about $22 million—is negligible. The issue is not whether DHS has the money; it is how DHS chooses to spend it.
...These choices have real consequences. Diverting funds from FEMA leaves the agency under-resourced and ineffective during disasters, resulting in delayed aid, staff cuts, and a looming relief fund shortfall. Crises across the country—from Southeast floods to widespread storms—go unaddressed, while funding for contractors takes precedence over national readiness and response.
...Recent budget decisions reduced internal oversight staffing while leaving body camera programs intact, showing that the real resistance is to accountability, not hardware costs.
...Body cameras come with legal and record-keeping requirements, not just equipment costs. Buying the cameras is straightforward—enforcing the necessary oversight is the real challenge.
...DHS needs to become accountable. They don't need more money.
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