GAO urges CBP, ICE to revamp body-worn camera programs

The Government Accountability Office issued seven recommendations urging the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to update their body-worn camera program plans and to develop operational guidance that reflects current deployment realities.

GAO found that CBP's plan has not been revised since 2022 and ICE's since 2024, even though CBP deployed approximately 11,500 cameras as of June 2026 - nearly all to Border Patrol - and ICE deployed approximately 4,800 cameras as of April 2026, split between Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations. A 2025 pause in further camera deployment also remains unaddressed in the existing plans.

Both agencies have policies and supervisory controls, but they lack results-oriented performance goals and measures. GAO suggests metrics such as the use of footage in use-of-force investigations. ICE was also advised to implement automated camera activation technology, a recommendation DHS declined to adopt.

DHS agreed with six of the seven recommendations; the automated activation control remains open. GAO will monitor agency actions to determine whether the updated plans and guidance are implemented.

Without updated program plans and clear operational guidance, GAO warns that CBP and ICE personnel may not consistently capture footage as required, potentially undermining the agencies' goals of enhanced safety, transparency, accountability, and public trust.