Three U.S. senators are demanding a major overhaul of how federal agents deploy tear gas and pepper spray, pointing to a ProPublica investigation that revealed at least 79 children were left screaming, coughing, or injured by the chemicals during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign. The lawmakers said the findings make clear that tighter restrictions are needed to prevent bystanders — especially children — from being harmed by chemical agents. Such weapons were created to subdue rioters and troops, but their chemical compounds are highly toxic—particularly to children, who breathe faster in relation to their body mass. “This reporting makes clear that we need federal legislation to rein in the over-use and misuse of tear gas and chemical agents,” Sen. In a statement, New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker said. We must not permit any more children to be subjected to tear gas by federal law enforcement. ProPublica discovered that the Department of Homeland Security maintains looser rules for deploying these weapons than many local police departments, which have often been compelled to tighten their policies after lawsuits or new local laws. There is no consistent standard regulating when and how law enforcement agencies may deploy these weapons. DHS should revise its policies to reflect the best practices used by local police departments, the senator said. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, told ProPublica. In Minneapolis, for example, officers may use chemical munitions only with prior approval from the police chief. “This type of force should require authorization from a senior official” along with an evaluation of possible “collateral harm to children,” Blumenthal said. Sen.
