DHS Officers Use Less-Lethal Weapons on Immigration Enforcement Protesters
Feb 14, 2026

An NBC News investigation found that Department of Homeland Security officers conducting Trump's immigration crackdown used less-lethal weapons including rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray on protesters. Officers shot 13 people with guns and injured hundreds more. Courts in at least four states found that force was used inappropriately and indiscriminately. The use of these weapons began in late spring and summer in California and Oregon, expanded to Chicago in the fall, and reached Minneapolis where officers shot and killed two protesters.
Sources
- Broken bones, burning eyes: How Trump's DHS deploys 'less lethal' weapons on protesters
NBC News·Feb 14, 2026·archived copy
- Trump’s Immigration Forces Deploy “Less Lethal” Weapons in Dangerous Ways | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series
- Donald Trump's Border Patrol weapons spending skyrockets
Newsweek·Dec 8, 2025·archived copy
- TIME
- wapo.st
- Trump's DHS Accused of Assaulting Peaceful Protestors, Using 'Violent Spectacle' to Deploy National Guard, Marines: Lawsuit
latintimes.com·Jun 20, 2025·archived copy
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