Science Vs — What Do Tear Gas and ICE Raids Do to People?
Podcast: Science Vs
Host: Spotify Studios (Guest Host: Rose Rimler)
Date: January 29, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode investigates the health and societal impacts of two controversial forms of state action: the use of tear gas during protests and the effects of large-scale ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids. Anchored in the real-time context of protests and ICE operations in Minneapolis, the team explores what the scientific research reveals—what’s known, what isn’t, and what ripple effects reach beyond the immediate moments of chaos.
The episode features testimony from people on the ground, interviews with researchers, and an evidence-based analysis of these tools of law enforcement.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Context: ICE Raids and Protests in Minneapolis
- ICE, assisted by Border Patrol, launches the "largest immigration operation ever" in Minneapolis. Reports emerge of extreme enforcement methods, including detaining children, using family members to lure people out, and federal agents killing protesters ([00:00]–[03:03]).
- Community reactions include organized marches, widespread protests, and public documentation of enforcement actions. Law enforcement response has included violent crackdowns, use of tear gas, and lethal force.
Notable Quote:
"We just had a huge economic shutdown. A bunch of people showed up downtown, and then the next day, they murdered a man."
— T (Protester), [02:08]
2. Tear Gas: What It Is, How It’s Used, and Immediate Effects
- History & Legal Status:
- Tear gas is prohibited in war yet permitted in domestic policing in the US ([08:13]–[08:52]).
- Its ubiquity in modern policing is traced back to repurposed military stock after arms-control treaties.
- Composition:
- Tear gas is a misnomer; most agents are solid chemicals (like CS, CN, OC) aerosolized for deployment ([10:05]).
- On-the-Ground Accounts:
- Protesters describe significant physical distress: vomiting, retching, eyes burning, face and skin irritation, transient blindness ([06:14]–[14:12]).
- Exposures can last several minutes, sometimes requiring help to recover sight.
Notable Quotes:
"You're puking and throwing up? ...My whole face was covered in mucus."
— T (Protester), [06:19]
"It felt sticky...like dust or whatever in my eyes. A physical thing. Like it was scratchy."
— T (Protester), [12:56]
- Expert Explanation—How It Hurts Us:
- Tear gas binds to pain and heat receptors (nociceptors), triggering powerful burning and inflammation responses ([15:41]–[17:19]).
- Effects can be lethal in enclosed spaces, especially for vulnerable populations like infants.
Notable Quote:
"If you are left too long in an enclosed space with tear gas, you can die."
— Dr. Jennifer Brown, [18:01]
3. The Science: Immediate and Long-Term Health Impacts
- Acute Effects:
- Tearing, coughing, vomiting, skin burns, and rashes.
- In severe or direct exposures, possible blindness, respiratory distress.
- Unanswered Questions & Gaps:
- Most research is from young, healthy people (often military trainees), not representative of the public ([18:42]).
- Types, concentrations, and mixtures of chemicals used are often undisclosed ([13:41]–[14:51], [22:02]).
- Long-Term & Systemic Effects:
- Survey studies (e.g., Portland, 2020): significant percentage of protesters report gastrointestinal issues, delayed symptoms ("almost 30%...experienced GI stuff" [20:30]).
- Reports of disrupted menstrual cycles and breast tenderness in people exposed ([21:22]).
- Additional chemicals in tear gas mixtures are known or suspected carcinogens and toxins ([22:02]).
- Cases of miscarriage following exposure, especially in areas of prolonged unrest ([22:49]).
- Mental and Public Health:
- PTSD and other mental health issues compound the direct physical effects.
Notable Quote:
"Spraying a chemical we don't know that much about on a broad swath of the population...Pretty risky."
— Rose Rimler, [23:33]
4. How to Protect Against Tear Gas
- Protection tips:
- Wear tight-fitting goggles, gas masks, and cover exposed skin ([24:53]).
- CDC recommends disposing of exposed clothing to avoid further contamination.
Memorable Moment:
"There's no, like, Narcan for tear gas."
— Blythe Turrell, [24:53]
5. ICE Raids: The Science Behind Community Impact
- Immediate Trauma:
- Witnessing raids can have lasting psychological effects on both undocumented and documented residents ([28:43]–[30:26]).
- Research Findings:
- Bill Lopez’s studies found spikes in fear, anxiety, and reported health declines after raids take place—even among U.S. citizens ([29:21]–[31:00]).
- Major ICE operations in Iowa (2008) correlated with a measurable drop in birth weight for Latino infants, indicating community-wide health effects extended to the next generation ([31:38]).
Notable Quotes:
"Enforcement literally makes its way into the bodies of the next generation who aren't even born yet and who don't even have a concept of citizenship status."
— Bill Lopez, [31:53]
"Infants born to Latino women had a 24% higher chance of being born with a low birth weight after the raid compared to beforehand."
— Meryl Horn, [32:23]
- Healthcare Avoidance & Physical Health:
- ICE presence drives people away from seeking medical care—including necessary prenatal care ([32:44]–[33:19]).
- Family Separation & Lasting Trauma:
- Proximity to enforcement and violence, especially for children, amplifies long-term psychological harm, including anxiety and PTSD ([35:10]).
- Societal Ripple Effects:
- Community-wide stress, not limited to those directly targeted. E.g., after Hong Kong unrest, depression in the general population jumped from 2% to 11% ([37:00]).
6. Do ICE Raids Make Communities Safer?
- Evidence Contradicts the Rationale:
- Study after study shows immigrants (including the undocumented) are less likely to commit crimes than citizens ([37:23]).
- Most recent ICE raids target non-criminals or those with minor offenses ([37:56]).
- Paradoxically, raids make communities less safe: people become less likely to report crimes, including domestic violence, fearing law enforcement collaboration ([39:02]).
Notable Quote:
"The man in green and the man in blue are the same thing."
— Bill Lopez, [39:02]
Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- On Tear Gas as a War Crime vs. Domestic Tool —
"See, we can't use it on enemies in wartime, but cool to use it against our own people in peacetime."
— Rose Rimler, [08:45] - On Lack of Scientific Certainty —
"We have some data on how much it takes to kill animals... but there's a ton that we don't know about what it does to people."
— Blythe Turrell, [18:42] - On ICE Raids and Children —
"I'm shocked that they arrested five year olds. I'm shocked."
— Bill Lopez, [33:38]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Protest & Enforcement Context: [00:00]–[03:03]
- Personal Protester Testimony: [01:49]; [06:14]; [10:46]; [13:41]
- Tear Gas—What It Is and How It Works: [07:11]–[12:18]
- Expert Scientific Explanations: [13:04]–[14:51]; [15:41]–[17:19]
- Long-Term Effects & Research Gaps: [18:42]–[23:39]
- Protecting Yourself From Tear Gas: [24:53]
- ICE Raid Effects: Personal Accounts & Scientific Findings: [27:57]–[37:23]
- Crime & Safety Discussion: [37:23]–[39:26]
Conclusion
The episode delivers an unsettling portrait of how tear gas and ICE raids, justified as tools to ensure order and safety, can inflict significant and sometimes little-understood harm on individuals and entire communities. From immediate respiratory and neurological trauma to ripples that affect infants not yet born, the science reviewed in this episode questions the safety, efficacy, and ethics of these practices. The Science Vs team underscores how much is still unknown—and how critical it is to scrutinize the real human costs behind news headlines.
For further reading and the complete list of citations, visit the show transcript linked in the episode notes.