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Trump's Immigration Forces Deploy "Less Lethal" Weapons in Dangerous Ways, Skirting Rules and Maiming Protesters
Immigration
Trump’s Immigration Forces Deploy “Less Lethal” Weapons in Dangerous Ways, Skirting Rules and Maiming Protesters
Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear gas. Protestors trapped, struggling to breathe.
by A.C. Thompson, ProPublica and FRONTLINE, and J. David McSwane, ProPublica
November 25, 2025, 1:35 pm
Co-published with FRONTLINE
This story contains videos and photos showing blood and violence against protesters.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
This story is part of a collaboration between FRONTLINE and ProPublica that includes an upcoming documentary.
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Since President Donald Trump’s administration launched high-intensity immigration sweeps this year, federal agents have routinely countered protestors using crowd control weapons — rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades, tear gas and pepper balls. They’ve fired on American citizens and noncitizens alike in ways that some experts say might be criminal.
The so-called less lethal weapons are designed to break up mobs engaged in dangerous behavior or deter would-be assailants who pose a threat. They aren’t intended to kill. But research has shown the weapons can cause devastating injuries or death. Federal guidelines generally prohibit agents from targeting the head, neck, throat or spine when firing projectiles like rubber bullets or pepper balls.
snip//
Christy Lopez, a former senior civil rights litigator at the Department of Justice, said many of the bystander and news videos she’s seen show “clearly excessive, unreasonable force” that her former office would have investigated as potential crimes.
“They are clearly violating people’s rights,” said Lopez, who now teaches at Georgetown Law. “It’s probably criminal, and it should be investigated as such.”
“I don’t say that lightly,” added Lopez, who led investigations into misconduct and excessive force at police departments including Los Angeles, Chicago and Ferguson, Missouri. “This is a very different situation than anything we’ve seen in the past in terms of just the routine and really brazen use of force in violation of people’s rights.”
“I don’t say that lightly,” added Lopez, who led investigations into misconduct and excessive force at police departments including Los Angeles, Chicago and Ferguson, Missouri. “This is a very different situation than anything we’ve seen in the past in terms of just the routine and really brazen use of force in violation of people’s rights.”
more...
https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-border-patrol-less-lethal-weapons