“Hollow Promise” – King Responds to News that ICE Has Acquired Sufficient Body-Worn Cameras

September 02, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today shared the following statement responding to news that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement now says it has acquired enough body-worn cameras to have all officers equipped with:
“This update from ICE is a hollow promise since ICE announced weeks ago that they have no intention of making body-worn camera footage public if it does not show them in a favorable light. So unless and until there is a change of policy and leadership, today’s news simply means that there is more expensively equipped lawlessness on our streets rather than responsible, legitimate law enforcement.”
Senator King has been outspoken and proactive in his efforts to negotiate necessary guardrails for ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the wake of unprofessional and unconstitutional behavior among those agencies. In January, King appeared on Face the Nation where he explained his Constitutional concerns over how ICE was operating in Maine, as well as possible paths forward for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding package. In February, he released a statement on congressional efforts to curtail ICE’s activities in Maine and across the country—again calling for the implementation of guardrails. Weeks ago, he condemned the news that ICE was buying painful “shock gloves” for officers to stun and paralyze suspects they were seeking to detain.
Most recently, King called for a comprehensive, transparent, and expedited investigation into the fatal shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel in Biddeford. Additionally, when given the chance to vote for a DHS budget that funded TSA, FEMA, CISA and the Coast Guard – holding ICE and CBP funding for bipartisan negotiations to include additional civilian protections – Senator King voted in favor of this approach all eleven times it was considered on the Senate floor.
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