The US Justice Department announced on Friday that it is taking steps to strengthen the federal death penalty, including reintroducing firing squads and readopting the lethal injection protocol used during the first Trump administration. This move aims to reverse policies from the Biden era.
Details of the Announcement
In a news release, the department stated it is restoring its duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences. The actions include readopting the lethal injection protocol that relies on pentobarbital and expanding execution methods to include firing squads. The department also plans to streamline internal processes to expedite death penalty cases.
Furthermore, the department rescinded the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions and authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche has already authorized seeking death sentences for nine of these defendants.
Background and Context
Shortly after taking office in January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order committing to pursue federal death sentences and directing the attorney general to ensure states have sufficient supplies of lethal injection drugs. Federal executions had been on hold since 2021 under a moratorium imposed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.
During Trump's first term, the government resumed federal executions after a nearly 20-year pause. At the state level, five states—Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—allow executions by firing squad in certain circumstances.
Public Opinion and Criticism
Executions in the US rose last year to their highest level in 16 years, but public support for the death penalty has been declining. A Gallup poll from October 2025 showed support dropping from 80% in 1994 to 52% in 2025. The Death Penalty Information Center noted that the death penalty is increasingly unpopular, even as officials schedule executions for political benefits.
Matt Wells, deputy director of Reprieve, criticized the announcement, stating it illustrates the federal government's determination to execute at all costs, opening the door to appalling methods.
