A new report reveals that the misuse of crowd control weapons against protesters at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers and enforcement operations across the United States has caused hundreds of injuries, including blindings and traumatic brain injuries. The report, released this week by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley (HRC), documents 412 verified incidents of misuse from June 2025 through May 2026. Researchers estimate the true number of injuries is “far greater” due to difficulties in assessing invisible injuries such as chemical burns or chronic pain.
Scale of Injuries and Documentation
The report catalogues 203 injuries resulting from the alleged misuse of these weapons, which include teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, stun grenades, water cannon, and improvised weapons like horses and riot shields. Injuries range from lacerations and fractures to blindings and traumatic brain injuries. Dr. Rohini Haar, lead author and PHR medical expert, told the Guardian: “This is a concerning story.” Researchers struggled to confirm the full scope because “visual investigative techniques cannot adequately assess invisible injuries, such as chemical injury or chronic pain or hearing loss.”
High-Profile Incidents and National Flashpoints
One notable incident occurred in Newark, New Jersey, where dozens of protesters gathered outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in solidarity with detained immigrants on hunger strike. During a scuffle, ICE officials pepper sprayed Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), sparking national outrage. In the following days, local and state police used batons, shields, and teargas against protesters, arresting dozens. The report notes that such tactics have become widespread as backlash against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has grown.
Federal and Local Responsibility
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), were responsible for 64% of all misuse incidents. However, local law enforcement also played a significant role. Dr. Haar noted: “The involvement of state and local [authorities] is also concerning… in places like Los Angeles, there is a lot more involvement.” The report found a sharp increase in incidents during enforcement surge operations led by former Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who took a hardline approach before retiring in March 2026. “In each city where there were federal directions to escalate enforcement, incident counts rose sharply within days,” PHR stated.
Comparison to 2020 Protests and Ongoing Violence
Researchers drew parallels to law enforcement’s response to the 2020 racial justice protests. Since June 2025, mass protests have erupted in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Newark, and Portland, with over 90% of documented misuse incidents occurring in these regions. Since January 2025, DHS officials have been responsible for at least 11 shooting deaths. The two most recent fatal shootings occurred in July 2026: ICE agents shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old construction worker, in Houston on July 7, and a 26-year-old Colombian man was killed in Biddeford, Maine, on July 12. DHS did not respond to Guardian inquiries about the report’s findings.
