When federal immigration agents hurt or kill someone, the public deserves the truth. Too often, officials tell one story and video later shows another. People have been run over, shot, and killed, and the official account has not held up against bystander and body camera footage. Agents who use force, and officials who put out false statements afterward, rarely answer for it. That erodes trust and puts everyone at risk, citizens and immigrants alike. Local prosecutors and grand juries should be able to do their work without federal agencies altering evidence or stonewalling. Congress writes the rules and funds the agencies. It can require body cameras, preserve all footage and evidence, mandate independent investigations of every shooting and serious injury, and attach consequences for false official statements. Write these requirements into law: require body cameras, independent investigations, and real penalties for immigration agents who use unjustified force or lie about it.
