Name: How immigration agents break rules using less-lethal weapons
Uploaded: 2026-03-12T16:41:08.000Z
Duration: 6 min 8 s
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In these videos, like dozens of others we reviewed from across the country, we kept seeing federal immigration agents aggressively use a variety of weapons against observers and protesters.

Everything from tear gas cans and pepper spray to pepper ball guns and munition launchers.

These weapons are known to be less lethal.

Unlike guns, they're designed to be less likely to cause death or serious injury.

And since last summer, these weapons have been heavily used by agents sent into US Cities.

We're gonna look at shipping, tractor trailer, loads of that shit in here.

So we looked into how they're being used.

We analyzed dozens of videos where immigration agents deployed these less lethal weapons and found that agents were regularly using them in ways that violate federal and local law enforcement policies.

Multiple videos show agents pepper spraying passive observers and bystanders from very close rang.

In this video from Minnesota, you see several officers handcuffing a man on the ground.

He doesn't appear to be actively resisting, but

this border Patrol officer, not involved in the detention, bends down and sprays the man in the face from inches away.

To understand if agents violated federal or local law enforcement policies, we reviewed DHS, CBP, DOJ, and

police department guidelines on use of force.

CBP's policies offer the most detailed federal rules for pepper spray.

It says it can be used on individuals who show at minimum active resistance.

Some local police departments have even stricter guidelines, saying the spray should be used from at least three feet away.

In other videos, the agents firing chemical munitions using these launchers also appear to violate guidelines.

CBP's rules say agents aren't allowed to intentionally target the head, neck, groin, spine, or female breasts.

As this agent enters the frame, he quickly points his launcher at this minister from only a few feet away and fires directly at his head.

This video from Minnesota appears to show several of these violations.

As one federal agent arrests this man on the ground, another agent begins throwing multiple tear gas cans at the observers.

The other agent, still in the middle of detaining the man, has pepper spray in one hand and a munitions launcher in the other.

He fires directly at an observer only a few feet away, though none of the observers appear to show signs of active or assaultive resistance.

At the same time, the other officer throws this stun munition, which narrowly misses a man's head.

Stun munitions can be used on subjects who show at a minimum assault of resistance, according to CBP rules, which means a level of violence that could cause serious injury.

Moments later, one of the officers pepper Sprays an observer kneeling on the ground and then points his munition launcher at other nearby.

A protest outside of an ICE detention facility in Illinois last September.

Freelance journalist Lee Kunkel was recording these immigration agents walking towards the crowd armed with their pepper ball guns.

What was the environment like when you got to the protest?

It was a slightly more combative atmosphere, but certainly not, not violent.

On the protesters side, you can see Lee at the protest here behind the white van with other photographers when agents began firing pepper balls in their direction.

Amid the spray of pepper balls, Lee is hit in the back of her head.

You can make out the mark where the pepper ball hit Lee.

She holds her head in pain and ducks behind the van for cover.

What Lee didn't know is that some of the shots were coming from this agent to her right.

He was standing about 20ft away and behind this chain link fence.

Here he is with his pepper ball gun aimed at her and resting on the fence for stability.

This time he hits her directly in the face.

This is the smoke cloud from the pepper ball's impact.

As Lee runs away, the agent keeps firing at least two more rounds.

The pepper ball's left Lee covered in blood coming from her nose.

Lee was shot in the head and face with a pepperball gun.

Like its policy for munition launchers, CBP's rules for the weapon say authorized officers agents shall not intentionally target the head, neck, spine or groin of the intended subject unless the use of deadly force is reasonable.

I would love for somebody to explain what I was doing in that moment that was a threat to anybody.

I mean, I was crouched on the ground behind a van, completely unarmed.

And as thousands of new ICE recruits go through a shorter training program, they'll be sent into cities with less training than officers in other federal agencies.

They ceased all of the legal instructions regarding use of force.

This ICE whistleblower told Congress that classes on use of force were recently removed from ICE's new curriculum.

What was taken out of the training were classes on use of force, specifically classes taught by the legal department as well as classes taught by other units.

In response to specific videos, DHS told us agents were responding to dangerous situations, not always captured in the short clips and appropriately used less lethal weapons to protect themselves and control crowds.

ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers.

Officers are highly trained in de escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training.

It also said DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.

Subtitles ListPlay Video

How immigration agents break rules using less-lethal weapons

approach

prioritize

multiple

force