WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three U.S. senators have called for an overhaul of federal agents’ use of tear gas and pepper spray following a ProPublica investigation that found at least 79 children were left screaming, coughing, or hurt during immigration enforcement and protest operations under President Donald Trump’s administration. The lawmakers urged federal oversight and policy changes to restrict the deployment of chemical agents near minors.
“This reporting makes clear that we need federal legislation to rein in the over-use and misuse of tear gas and chemical agents,” Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, said in a statement. “We cannot allow another child to be tear-gassed by federal law enforcement officers.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin requesting disciplinary records of agents who used chemical munitions in the presence of children. “This kind of use of force should require approval from someone in a position of authority and an assessment of the potential collateral damage to children,” Blumenthal said. He added that “video evidence demonstrates that chemical agents have been employed indiscriminately, even when children are present.”
Three House Democrats—Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, J. Luis Correa of California, and Shri Thanedar of Michigan—also sent a letter to Mullin accusing DHS of needlessly and callously inflicting harm on children. The letter requested information on whether the department has studied the toxic effects of chemical agents on minors and sought details on current training and policies regarding their use near children.
The investigation documented cases in which children were exposed to chemical agents while at home or sitting in cars as federal officers deployed tear gas against protesters. In Portland, Oregon, tear gas seeped for months into an apartment complex across from an ICE processing center, leading to chronic respiratory issues for a 12-year-old, according to a court declaration. A video disclosed in a lawsuit showed federal officers near Chicago hurling tear gas canisters at protesters without apparent provocation; one officer was heard making an expletive-laden remark. The incident occurred blocks from where a 7-year-old lives.
A DHS spokesperson defended the department’s actions, stating, “DHS does NOT target children,” and blamed parents for placing children in harm’s way, calling it “reckless, unlawful, and extremely irresponsible.” The spokesperson did not address requests for interviews with senior officials. No Republican lawmakers responded to inquiries.