Federal law enforcement continues to come under fire for deploying extreme measures during enforcement operations that have resulted in lasting and traumatic injuries.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley (HRC) released a new report - Charting the Crackdown - and interactive map documenting 412 verified incidents of misuse of crowd-control weapons, spanning a period from June 2025 through May 2026, including 203 injuries, saying the true number of injuries is likely greater. Researchers say they were prompted to track down incidents and types of weapons used nationwide and establish how those weapons have been used.
The crowd-control weapons include chemical irritants, including teargas, pepper spray and Mace, along with “kinetic impact projectiles”, which include rubber bullets and bean bag rounds. Researchers with PHR and HRC also documented the use of stun grenades, water cannons and other “improvised” weapons, like horses and riot police shields.
Additionally, they tracked whether people in “protected categories”, including journalists and health workers, were targeted by officials, then documented whether vulnerable populations, including older people and children, were affected, as well as whether weapons were used improperly by using the weapons in close range, targeting people’s heads or going against the weapons’ manufacturing guidelines.
It was found that nationally, the Department of Homeland Security DHS agencies such as ICE or Customs and Border Patrol were responsible for over half of all misuse incidents – 64%. They noted that local law enforcement officers also played a role in some incidents.
The report also showed an increase in the use of these weapons during immigration enforcement surge operations under the command of former border patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino who was pulled from the position and retired.
DHS and local law enforcement officials have fallen under repeated criticism for their response to the protests and their aggressive use of force. In the last year and a half, DHS immigration officials have been responsible for at least 11 shooting deaths, the most recent taking place in July just one week apart in Texas and in Maine.