Key facts
- DHS will test the Active Denial System, a weapon that causes an intense heat sensation on the skin.
- The system will be loaned to DHS for seven months starting in September.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly authorized the Department of Homeland Security to test a non-lethal "heat ray" weapon at the US-Mexico border. The Active Denial System, which emits a millimeter wave beam causing an intense heat sensation, will be loaned to DHS for seven months starting in September.
The US government is reportedly considering the deployment of a non-lethal weapon that causes an intense heat sensation at the US-Mexico border, raising questions about its use and potential impact on migrants. The Active Denial System has a history of consideration for border use but has not been deployed.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly signed a memo last month authorizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a non-lethal "heat ray" weapon for potential use at the US southern border. The system, known as the Active Denial System, emits a millimeter wave beam that causes an intense heat sensation on the skin. The DHS will loan the Pentagon system for seven months starting in September. A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson stated the agency is continually evaluating new technology to enhance national security effectiveness. The US military initially brought the system to Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago but it was returned without use. Previously, CBP officials considered using the system for illegal crossings or crowd dispersal, but it was never deployed. The DHS will be solely responsible for the system's employment and tactics.
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