‘Weapons were misused to control the crowd during the protest against ICE’

LOS ANGELES:-  According to physicians from Physicians for Human Rights and UC Berkeley, a report has been released regarding the “misuse” of crowd-control weapons during a protest against ICE in Portland.

Throughout the past year and continuing into this year, protests against immigration policy have taken place almost daily in various cities across the country. In some instances, these protests turned violent, and federal authorities have repeatedly used crowd-control measures—such as tear gas and ‘pepper balls’—to bring the demonstrators under control.

In a report covering the period from June 2025 to May 2026, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and Physicians for Human Rights documented 412 incidents involving the “misuse” of crowd-control weapons by federal and local law enforcement agencies across 13 states.

According to their report, released last week, the majority of these incidents occurred in five major U.S. cities: Portland, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Newark.

This report was released amidst renewed nationwide protests against ICE and the federal government’s tightening of immigration enforcement.

Payal Shah, Director of Research, Legal, and Advocacy at Physicians for Human Rights, said regarding the released report, “Although we had heard a lot about various individuals injured during protests due to the misuse of crowd-control weapons, there was actually no systematic documentation of this taking place.”

Immediately after the report was released, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated, “Protesters should be aware of the risks when in the vicinity of individuals engaged in illegal activities. DHS officials take every reasonable precaution to minimize the danger to individuals exercising their constitutional rights.”

Scott Reinhout, the lead researcher of the report titled “Charting the Crackdown,” stated, “International organizations agree that crowd-control weapons should never be aimed at people’s heads. When we see incidents involving impact projectiles striking people in the head, it indicates a violation of the rules governing how these weapons should be used.”

According to Scott Reinholt, the lead researcher, the released report examined procedural misconduct.

However, judging by the circumstances at the scene, it appears the researchers did not assess whether the use of crowd-control weapons was ‘proportionate or necessary.’

Renhaut stated, “This is largely a matter of subjective judgment.” He added that assessing the use of force of this nature requires extensive resources. “Due to this limitation, the 412 incidents documented nationwide fall short of the actual figure.”

Researchers focused primarily on physical injuries; they did not measure or study the psychological effects of crowd-control weapons, the consequences of long-term exposure to chemicals, or hearing damage.

DHS spokesperson stated that ICE officers are trained to “use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations while prioritizing the safety of the public and our officers.”

The use-of-force incidents cited in the report largely occurred during protests sparked by major federal immigration enforcement operations across the United States—specifically ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ in Chicago and ‘Operation Metro Surge’ in Minnesota.

“Operation Black Rose,” conducted by the DHS in Oregon and Southwest Washington from September 27, 2025, to March 1, resulted in over 1,100 immigration-related arrests and numerous protests.

According to the released report, investigators found the highest level of misuse of chemical irritants—such as tear gas—in Portland.

Renhaut said, “One thing that was particularly difficult to manage, especially in the context of Portland, was the excessive amount of chemical irritants and smoke used there. This made the task of identifying the events taking place—whether by day or by night—truly very complex.”