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ICE says it expects to equip every field officer with body cameras by the end of August By Associated Press, (AP) — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Saturday it expects every officer and agent in the field to be equipped with a body camera by the end of August, a rapid expansion that could provide an unprecedented visual record of the federal government’s immigration enforcement operations. But whether the public will get to see that footage remains largely up to ICE. The agency defended its body-worn camera policy amid questions about provisions allowing ICE leadership to withhold or indefinitely delay footage after serious injuries or deaths in custody. Acting Director David J. Venturella said the restrictions are intended to protect investigations and privacy and are consistent with federal law and policies at other federal law enforcement agencies. Venturella’s statement came in response to an Associated Press report on ICE policy, including a provision calling for the expedited release of footage after a serious injury or death in custody when doing so is determined to be in the “best interests of the agency.” Venturella said the AP “mischaracterized” the policy by conflating that provision with ICE’s broader authority to release body-camera footage. He said the policy clarifies that footage should not be released when doing so could compromise investigations or privacy. The AP report did not say the provision governs every release of body-camera footage. It focused on ICE’s policy for releasing footage after some of the most consequential encounters with the public: those involving serious injury or death.

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Prefer Newsweek on Google A major veterans benefits package has hit another wall in Congress, with senators divided over whether long-sought new benefits should be paid for through disputed changes to future disability compensation. On July 29, competing Senate efforts to advance the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act failed amid a fight over disability-benefit offsets. The bill bundles dozens of veterans measures, but its path forward is uncertain because lawmakers disagree over future tinnitus and sleep apnea compensation. Veterans, caregivers, survivors, service members and future disability claimants could be affected if the package advances, stalls or is rewritten. The White House backs the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, saying it would expand community-care access and support veterans, caregivers, families and survivors. But it has also noted that the bill lacks a final score and raised concerns over some provisions involving the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and requests for documents protected by executive privilege

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