In Memory of Deportation Officer Bradley K. Kam

The US Department of Homeland Security announced to the public that their office had lost one of its officers to the coronavirus pandemic. The US has lost hundreds of officers to COVID19. In addition, DHS has lost many officers from a variety of agencies under its management.

On Tuesday, October 12, 2021, Deportation Officer Bradley K. Kam, badge number 8725, died due to complications of COVID19. Kam had been working on an assignment near Tacoma, Washington, when he contracted the virus. It is a line-of-duty death. Kam was 40 years old.

Federal mandates were put into place to protect families from financial devastation due to the loss of sworn officers who died from the virus. During this pandemic, it was learned that certain occupations carry a much greater risk of contracting the disease. For law enforcement, social distancing is not always an option. Because of this virus, thousands of children of law enforcement officers have been left without a parent.

Deportation Officer Cam had served with the United States Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations for the past four years. Kam was most recently assigned to the Seattle ERO Office. Before taking this assignment, Kam had been a Customs and Broder Protection agent for approximately nine years. The US Department of Homeland Security also oversaw this position. In total, Kam had more than thirteen years in law enforcement.

United States Department of Homeland Security

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed as a cabinet-level office to increase national security after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US. Once the agency was created, it was immediately the third-largest cabinet department in the federal government.

The agency oversees many other law enforcement and security agencies. This includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, FEMA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The department has more than 240,000 employees and provides oversight for these and dozens of other agencies.

Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, US Government

Kam was assigned to the Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. The ERO agency is the enforcement arm of ICE. However, the position requires that officers remove undocumented individuals from the country.

The ERO is critical in that these officers specifically search for those individuals who are a threat to public safety, gang members, or otherwise present a danger to national security. Thus, the focus is turned towards those individuals who are considered dangerous.

Those officers in the department assigned to INTERPOL assist in targeting those in the US who are foreign fugitives. ERO also manages all details of immigration enforcement processes. They also provide a supervised release and other alternatives to jail while cases are pending.

Remembrances

Deportation Officer Bradley K. Kam leaves behind his fiancé, mother, father, and sister. The Kam family will cherish the kindness from neighbors, friends, and family as they work through their grief. Law enforcement agencies around the US have been volunteering to help with the many funeral arrangements for fallen officers. These Honor Guards will support the Kam family and provide ceremony and honors to the occasion. This helps show gratitude from the community for their sacrifice.

The Fraternal Order of Prince George’s County Police Lodge posted condolences for the Kam family and fellow officers. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and comrades in arms of Deportation Officer Bradley K. Kam of the United States Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, US Government. End of Watch Tuesday, October 12, 2021.”