All ICE agents in Maine now have body cameras, Susan Collins says
AUGUSTA — All Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents operating in Maine have been equipped with body-worn cameras, according to an announcement Thursday from U.S. Senator Susan Collins.
The development comes more than two weeks ahead of a national deadline set by ICE leadership and follows pressure from Collins to prioritize the state's federal immigration officers. Collins said she raised the issue during a conversation with ICE Acting Director David Venturella last month.
"When I spoke with ICE Acting Director Venturella last month, he committed to deliver body-worn cameras to ICE agents across the country by the end of August," Collins said in a written statement. "I urged him to prioritize Maine, and they have arrived more than two weeks ahead of schedule."
The senator added that agents have completed training on the devices.
A spokesperson for Representative Chellie Pingree confirmed through her office that local ICE leadership had verified the cameras were distributed to agents in Maine.
The rollout follows two fatal shootings involving ICE officers in July, including one in Biddeford that resulted in the death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. At the time of those incidents, ICE agents did not have functioning body cameras, a gap that drew widespread criticism.
Pingree called the cameras "long overdue" and said they should have been in place before Durán Guerrero was killed. She also raised concerns about the agency's policies governing footage.
"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."
The congresswoman was referring to ICE's recently announced policy, which states that body camera footage will only be released when deemed in the agency's "best interest." The directive has faced scrutiny from oversight groups and members of Congress.
Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, echoed those concerns, arguing the policy undermines the purpose of body cameras.
"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 in a statement 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 questioned other recent agency initiatives, including reports that the Department of Homeland Security plans to equip officers with electric shock gloves.
"This 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?" King said Thursday.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that ICE will ensure each arrest team has an individual wearing a body camera but declined to provide specifics about the Maine rollout beyond what Collins announced.
Representative Jared Golden's office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Collins, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has faced criticism from the Maine Democratic Party over her past support for ICE funding. Party spokesperson Misha Linnehan released a statement Thursday saying voters would remember Collins's previous positions.
"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," Linnehan said. "Make no mistake — ICE has had a blank check to terrorize communities because Susan Collins gave it to them."
The body camera deployment marks the first time all ICE agents in Maine have had access to the recording devices. The agency has previously faced calls from congressional Democrats to implement consistent camera policies nationwide following high-profile incidents involving immigration enforcement.
