WASHINGTON — Acting ICE Director David Venturella released a public statement Friday accusing the Associated Press of misreporting his agency's body camera policy, calling the coverage misleading and sensationalized. His statement, published on the agency's official website, came in direct response to an on how ICE determines when to release body camera footage.
At the center of the dispute is a distinction Venturella says the AP collapsed: the agency's policy for expedited release of footage after a serious bodily injury or death in custody is a separate provision from ICE's general authority to release body camera footage at any time. Venturella said the wire service treated them as one policy, producing what he called a false picture of how ICE manages footage disclosure.
The specific provision in question calls for expedited release after a serious injury or death when doing so is determined to be in the best interests of the agency. Venturella said that clause operates alongside—not in place of—a broader release authority, and that the AP ignored the distinction. He said withholding footage is permitted when release would compromise ongoing investigations or violate privacy protections.
Venturella said the policy mirrors how other federal law enforcement agencies handle body camera footage and is fully consistent with the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. He did not name those agencies or provide documentation comparing their policies.
On deployment, Venturella said ICE is on track to equip every officer and agent in the field with body cameras before the end of August—ahead of the agency's original schedule. He did not state the prior deadline or specify how many officers are currently without cameras. The statement included neither a total number of agents who will receive cameras nor the cost of the rollout.
The AP had not publicly responded to Venturella's statement as of Friday. The original report had not been corrected or retracted based on available information.
The exchange comes as ICE's enforcement operations have drawn sustained public attention. The agency has conducted high-profile immigration operations since President Trump took office in January 2025, and oversight of those operations—including the use of body cameras—has become a recurring point of contention between the administration and press organizations. Venturella has served as acting director during this period and has not been confirmed by the Senate for a permanent appointment.
Body camera footage from federal law enforcement sits in a legal gray zone compared to local police departments, many of which operate under state laws requiring disclosure. Federal agencies including ICE are governed by the Privacy Act and FOIA, both of which carry exemptions that can shield footage from public release. Civil liberties groups have pushed for mandatory disclosure rules, arguing that discretionary release authority allows agencies to withhold footage selectively.
Venturella's statement does not address those broader arguments. It is narrowly focused on correcting what he described as a factual error in the AP's characterization of two distinct policy provisions, and does not provide the text of the body camera policy itself or link to the underlying document.
