Federal agents in immigration raids told to be camera-ready as hundreds arrested

Multiple federal agents assisting US immigration officials with raids directed by the Trump administration have been told to ensure their clothing clearly depicts their respective agency in case they are filmed by members of the media, sources familiar with the operations tell CNN.

The Trump administration’s weekend immigration sweep that included nearly 1,000 arrests and has chilled many immigrant communities was followed by another blitz: A barrage of video and photos from the federal government showing agents in tactical gear and vests emblazoned with “Police ICE” and “Homeland Security” taking cuffed suspects away. The made-for-TV look of the arrests is not a coincidence. At least two agencies assisting US immigration officials with the raids have told personnel to ensure their clothing clearly depicts their respective agency in case they are filmed by members of the media, sources familiar with the operations tell CNN. While it is a common safety practice for agents conducting arrests to wear insignias clearly identifying themselves as law enforcement, even agents on the perimeter of operations conducted across the nation have been specifically instructed by their leadership to wear raid jackets in view of media attention, sources said. On Sunday, federal agencies released numerous photos on social media of agents in tactical gear conducting purported immigration arrests. Former TV talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw announced on social media he was “embedded” with an ICE team in Chicago as raids began. McGraw released video showing him interviewing the Trump administration’s new “border czar,” Tom Homan, at what was described as an ICE Command Center.