New York, New York - New York will dispatch legal observers to monitor federal immigration agents for potential violations of the law, the state's attorney general said Tuesday, as deportation raids face a growing backlash.

President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant campaign has sparked nationwide anger over heavy-handed tactics that, last month, saw two American protesters shot dead by immigration officers in Minneapolis.

New York's top prosecutor, Letitia James, said her initiative would "examine federal enforcement activity in New York and whether it remains within the bounds of the law."

"We have seen in Minnesota how quickly and tragically federal operations can escalate in the absence of transparency and accountability," she added in a statement.

Under the plan, staff from the attorney general's office wearing official, purple vests will be sent "when necessary" to monitor immigration enforcement actions, a press release said.

"Observers will not interfere with enforcement activity; their role is solely to document federal conduct in a safe and lawful manner," it said.

James also urged New Yorkers to share videos or other documentation of immigration enforcement with her office through a dedicated online portal for potential future investigations.

The move comes after the Trump administration announced that federal officers in Minneapolis will be equipped with body cameras following calls for greater transparency.

Immigration agents shot and killed US citizens Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24 as protests rocked the city, which Trump is targeting in a wide-ranging deportation crackdown.

Witnesses filmed both of those fatal shootings in footage that was widely shared online and fueled public outrage.