A coalition comprising close to thirty technology advocacy and social justice organizations issued a formal rejection this week of proposed reforms, specifically targeting body-worn cameras for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The letter urges lawmakers to vote against any funding bill that includes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or ICE, arguing that supposed accountability measures only enhance the agency's surveillance power.
This directive comes in the wake of several high-profile fatalities attributed to ICE actions in 2025, including the deaths of Alex Pretti, Keith Porter, and Renee Good. Organizers of the letter contend that body cameras have proven statistically ineffective at curbing violence, citing investigative evidence showing footage is frequently withheld by law enforcement agencies.
According to the organizing body, Fight For The Future, existing documentation suggests that body cameras have previously failed to provide transparency. They point to the fact that the murders of Pretti and Good were recorded on ICE agent body cameras, yet federal agents have reportedly obstructed state officials from accessing that evidence for independent investigation.
Reem Suleiman, Senior Campaigns Director at Fight For The Future, stated that body cameras will not mitigate ICE operations, calling for a complete cessation of funding for the agency’s “dangerous surveillance apparatus.” The sentiment among signatories is that incremental technological interventions legitimize the agency’s operations rather than reform them.
Brian Hofer, Executive Director of Secure Justice, asserted that there is a documented correlation between the increased deployment of body cameras and rising levels of police violence at various governmental tiers. He stressed that the immediate need is accountability, not further video documentation of what he termed “evil behavior.”
Signatories spanned technology watchdogs and human rights groups, including Access Now, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, and the Yale Privacy Lab. Muslim Advocates further characterized ICE as an agency “designed for cruelty,” arguing that Congress must reject all attempts to fund mass detention and invasive surveillance technologies.
The coalition views the current legislative moment as a critical juncture where Congress must demonstrate resolve by defunding the agency entirely rather than endorsing superficial technological fixes. They maintain that ICE has operated effectively without its existence for hundreds of years and should be abolished.
For technology analysts, this debate underscores a recurring tension between deploying surveillance hardware as a measure of oversight versus recognizing when the underlying institutional mandate necessitates defunding. The groups are pushing lawmakers to prioritize systemic dismantling over providing new tools for existing high-risk operations.
