Tear gas is a chemical weapon banned in warfare, but ICE is using it against our communities. Sign the petition to demand law enforcement STOP using tear gas.
Dear MoveOn member,
These are the words of a mother in Minneapolis after federal immigration agents released tear gas into her car while her children, including her 6-month-old baby, were still inside: "He was just lifeless, like he had foam around his mouth. He had tears coming out of his eyes."1
That's right. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tear-gassed an infant. The desperate mother performed CPR on her child, who thankfully survived. But the disturbing incident is just one of many accounts of people being exposed to dangerous chemical weapons by law enforcement.
In the short term, tear gas causes immediate, intense pain. Excessive tearing, burning or blurred vision, as well as a runny nose, chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath, and a feeling of choking are common. Long-term effects can include chemical burns, blindness, and even death due to respiratory failure.2
Tear gas is a chemical weapon BANNED in warfare by both the Chemical Weapons Convention and Geneva Protocol. But there's a dangerous exception that allows its use by domestic law enforcement, leading to terrifying moments like the one in Minneapolis.3
Police and ICE agents can't be allowed to threaten our communities with a chemical weapon too dangerous for a battlefield. Will you sign the petition demanding Congress ban the use of tear gas?
When the people of the village of Broadview, Illinois, pleaded with ICE to "stop making war on our community" a few months ago, ICE responded with threats to bring a "s*** show" to the Chicago suburb.4
Community members, congressional candidates, clergy, and elected officials were among those peacefully protesting Trump's violent immigration crackdown when federal agents went through with their threat, deploying tear gas and pepper balls on the crowd.
"It was hard to breathe, and these agents created chaos."5 This is how Bushra Amiwala, a member of the Skokie Board of Education, described being tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed by ICE agents while protesting.
The right to peacefully assemble and protest is foundational to a democratic society. But the use of chemical agents is meant to intimidate and harm people from exercising that right. And under the current administration, it's being weaponized against even onlookers and observers.
Today, we're counting on you to help us send lawmakers a resounding message tens of thousands of people strong: Ban the use of tear gas NOW. Will you sign the petition?
As federal agents and local police increasingly resort to using tear gas, including in response to legal and peaceful protests, Congress MUST ban the domestic use of tear gas and get it off our streets now.
Cities like Denver, Portland, and Seattle have made efforts to ban tear gas from their streets—but these bans need to become the norm nationwide, especially as we witness an increase in federal law enforcement being deployed to our cities, including ICE agents who resort to violence and tear gas in response to people for exercising their right to protest.
With your help, we'll build the political pressure for Congress to echo the calls we're hearing from people and city councils across the country to ban tear gas—no exceptions.
Tear gas has no place being used against people, not now or in the future, not on the battlefield, and not in our streets. Act now to tell your elected officials to ban law enforcement from using tear gas against civilians.
Thank you for working for peace.
–The Win Without War team
Sources:
1. "ICE's Tear Gas Sent a 6-Month-Old to the Hospital, the Latest in an Alarming Pattern," Mother Jones, January 16, 2026
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/ice-tear-gas-on-kids-minneapolis-chicago-chemical-irritant/
2. "Effects of tear gas on the body," Medical News Today, July 31, 2020
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/effects-of-tear-gas
3. "The military is banned from using tear gas on the battlefield, but police can use it on crowds at home. Here's why," CNN, June 8, 2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/08/us/military-tear-gas-protesters-trnd
4. "ICE Escalates Violence Against Protesters In Broadview; Journalist Arrested," Block Club Chicago, September 28, 2025
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/28/ice-escalates-violence-against-protesters-in-broadview-journalist-arrested/
5. "Congressional candidate thrown to ground, protesters tear-gassed in clashes at Broadview ICE facility," Chicago Sun-Times, September 20, 2025
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/09/19/ice-broadview-protest-write-thru
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