412 protest incidents documented: ICE and police deploy crowd-control weapons, causing blindings and brain injuries
Jul 14, 2026 · United States
Physicians for Human Rights and the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley documented 412 incidents of crowd-control weapon misuse against demonstrators protesting immigration enforcement between June 2025 and May 2026 across 16 cities in 13 states. DHS agents were responsible for 265 incidents (64%), with state and local agencies responsible for 123 (30%). The victims included 209 demonstrators, 177 journalists, 12 minors, 7 bystanders, and 4 healthcare workers or legal observers. Of the 412 incidents, 119 resulted in documented injuries including 19 traumatic brain injuries, 12 fractures, 10 ocular injuries causing blindings, 7 permanent disabilities, 1 partial hand amputation, and 1 hearing loss. Researchers noted the true number of injuries is likely far greater, as invisible injuries like chemical damage and chronic pain are difficult to assess. The report found 86% of incidents occurred during four named DHS operations: At Large (Los Angeles), Midway Blitz (Chicago), Black Rose (Portland), and Metro Surge (Minneapolis), with additional incidents documented at protests outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey.
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