What Do Tear Gas and ICE Raids Do to People?

What It Covers

Science Versus examines the health impacts of tear gas and ICE raids in Minneapolis following the largest immigration operation in US history. The episode analyzes scientific research on tear gas exposure, including respiratory effects, menstrual disruption, and gastrointestinal symptoms, plus evidence showing how immigration enforcement creates measurable health consequences across entire communities, including increased depression rates and lower birth weights.

Key Questions Answered

• •Tear gas chemical composition: Tear gas contains solid chemicals like CS, CN, and OC aerosolized with accelerants and additional compounds. These activate pain receptors similar to capsaicin in peppers, causing burning sensations, temporary blindness lasting seven to eight minutes, vomiting, and skin irritation. The exact chemical mixtures used by enforcement agencies remain undisclosed, making it impossible to predict specific health effects or provide targeted medical treatment.
• •Long-term menstrual effects: Survey research from Portland protests found nine hundred people reported menstrual problems or breast tenderness after tear gas exposure, including cramping, spotting, increased bleeding duration, and longer cycles. A separate study showed over eighty percent of people with uteruses experienced menstrual or breast symptoms post-exposure. The mechanism remains unclear but may involve inflammatory responses or unknown chemicals in tear gas formulations beyond active ingredients.
• •Enclosed space dangers: Tear gas deployed in confined spaces can be lethal by displacing breathable air. CDC protocols recommend cutting off exposed clothing rather than pulling over the head to avoid additional eye contact. One Minneapolis family with a six month old baby required CPR after agents rolled a canister under their car, filling the vehicle with gas and causing respiratory distress requiring hospitalization.
• •Birth weight reduction after raids: Research on a 2008 Iowa meat processing plant raid involving nine hundred ICE agents and three hundred deportations found Latino infants born afterward had twenty four percent higher chance of low birth weight compared to pre-raid births, while white infant birth weights remained unchanged. The mechanism involves maternal stress hormones and reduced prenatal care access due to deportation fears affecting fetal development.
• •Community-wide mental health impact: Studies on prolonged social unrest in Hong Kong showed depression rates in the general population increased from two percent to eleven percent during 2019 protests, affecting people not directly involved. Immigration enforcement creates similar widespread effects through constant threat of sudden family separation, reduced trust in all government services including police, and decreased reporting of domestic violence in high Latinx population areas.