# What You Need to Know About How Tear Gas Harms Kids
Federal law enforcement agencies have deployed tear gas against crowds containing children during protests and immigration enforcement operations, raising serious medical and legal questions about the practice.
Tear gas exposure causes immediate and documented harm to children. The chemical irritant affects developing respiratory systems more severely than in adults. Children experience difficulty breathing, eye damage, and skin burns at lower exposure levels. Medical literature documents cases of asthma exacerbation, chemical burns, and respiratory distress in young people exposed to riot control agents like CS gas and CN gas.
Agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and local police departments have used tear gas during operations involving families and children. At the U.S.-Mexico border, families fleeing violence have faced tear gas deployment. During 2020 protests in Minneapolis and Portland, officers deployed the chemical agent in areas where minors were present.
The legality of this practice remains contested. No federal statute explicitly prohibits tear gas use against children. The Chemical Weapons Convention bans tear gas in warfare but permits domestic law enforcement use. However, constitutional protections under the First and Fourth Amendments may restrict its deployment against protected assembly, particularly when applied to vulnerable populations like children without clear justification.
Medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics have raised concerns about tear gas exposure in children. Long-term health effects remain understudied, though short-term injuries are well-documented.
State and local governments have begun restricting tear gas use. Some jurisdictions prohibit its deployment except in narrow circumstances. Advocacy groups argue federal agencies should adopt similar restrictions, particularly regarding minors.
For families at the border and protesters with children, tear gas exposure creates documented health risks without clear legal prohibition. The gap between chemical weapons restrictions in international law and domestic police authority creates a troubling gray area where