Published July 27, 2015EFE

By Paula Diaz

Border communities and immigrant defense groups on Monday expressed optimism over the release of a study on the use of body cameras by agents of the Border Patrol.

"They're taking this step by step and we're happy that the second phase of the study had ended," Juanita Molina, the executive director of the Border Action Network, told EFE on Monday.

"We think that the cameras can help a lot to reassure the public, because there are certain concepts and ideas that have been changing in the Border Patrol, but the reality is that those changes don't necessarily get communicated to all levels and it's important for someone to be monitoring the agent on patrol," she added.

According to Molina, the cameras benefit both the agents in the field and immigrants to prevent abuses of power.

Border organizations said that at a time of national debate over the accountability of law enforcement personnel, the country's largest police force should adopt the best practices to establish confidence, transparency and accountability with the border communities.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association said that the use of body cameras by agents is "positive."

"This can open doors to transparency. We're in favor of it, and definitely cameras on the agents would be a good way to protect them and ensure that there is protection during the arrests of immigrants," AILA president Victor Nieblas told EFE on Monday.

This week, a Tucson court is hearing the case of Carlos La Madrid, 19, who was shot by a Border Patrol agent in Douglas, Arizona, in March 2011.

Activists said that cameras would have helped clear up cases like that one.

Several components of Customs and Border Protection participated in the year-long feasilibity study and reviewed the experiences of other law enforcement agents, according to Donna Twyford, assistant chief at the U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters in Washington.

In a telephone conference last week with reporters, Twyford said that no specific technology is being tested in terms of brand or model, but rather authorities are evaluating the technology as a whole using the information obtained in this study to become familiar with different factors and considerations that CBP will have to take into account in making the decision on how it could be implemented.

Currently, a report is being prepared for CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, who is expected to approve or reject the use of the body cameras before the end of the year. EFE

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