Acting ICE Director David Venturella accused the Associated Press of mischaracterising ICE’s body-camera policy, arguing that its reporting conflated a provision on expedited release after serious injuries or deaths with the agency’s wider discretion over footage. The dispute matters because ICE is rapidly expanding camera use while retaining significant control over whether recordings of contentious operations are released publicly.

ICE said it expects all field officers and agents to have body cameras by the end of August. The AP reported that footage of incidents causing death or serious injury may be released promptly only when ICE judges this to be in the agency’s interests; Venturella said restrictions protect investigations and privacy and align with federal law and other agencies’ practices.