Drastic Change For ICE Agents In New York

A drastic change to immigration enforcement has been announced. New York is a state that has long embraced immigrants. We are home to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, which have welcomed immigrants to America. According to the American Immigration Council,

"Immigrants now account for 23.1 percent of the state's population and make up 27.8 percent of its labor force, supporting the state's economy in many ways. They account for 34.3 percent of entrepreneurs, 26.6 percent of STEM workers, and 59.5 percent of health aides in the state."

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As Americans all over the country have been protesting ICE's violent tactics and killing of American citizens, the Department of Homeland Security announced a major change to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents operate, per Newsweek. Accountability and transparency have been huge issues for the agency. Many ICE agents are masked and refuse to identify themselves, which goes against law enforcement norms here in America. Watchdog groups say some of their interactions have been so troubling that countries like Germany warn their citizens not to visit America. Many have raised concerns that America seems to be losing its world status as a leader and is instead becoming more like a third-world country ruled by a tyrannical government with rogue, violent guerrillas.

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DHS recently announced that all federal immigration enforcement officers will wear body cams moving forward. Officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will be among the first agents equipped with body-worn cameras. The program will expand to officers in New York and nationwide as resources become available. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents will wear the cameras. While it is a step in the right direction, critics are not confident DHS will share the unaltered footage from the camera.