Pentagon Authorizes DHS Test of Active Denial System

The Active Denial System (ADS) is a military-grade, nonlethal directed-energy device that emits an invisible beam of electromagnetic waves capable of reaching just over half a mile. When the beam contacts skin, it creates a burning sensation that officials have likened to the heat felt when opening a hot oven. The U.S. military briefly fielded the system in Afghanistan nearly two decades ago but chose not to employ it in combat. Earlier internal reviews also considered the ADS for crowd-control at overseas detention facilities, but those proposals were ultimately rejected.

CNN

A memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month permits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to borrow one ADS unit from the Pentagon for a seven-month trial beginning in September. At the conclusion of the loan period, DHS may request an extension based on operational need, according to a defense official. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson said the agency continually evaluates new technologies to enhance mission capabilities.

CNN

Current and former CBP officials note that the ADS has never been deployed on the border, citing unresolved questions about legality, use-of-force standards, and sovereignty—particularly if the beam were aimed at individuals who have not yet entered U.S. territory. A former CBP official warned that using the system could inadvertently cause drownings if people fled into the Rio Grande. In 2018, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen rejected proposals to employ the ADS against migrants, citing concerns that such treatment would equate immigrants and citizens with enemy combatants. Additional skepticism has emerged from border agents who question the necessity of the technology amid declining crossing numbers and increased staffing.

CNN

The loan arrangement allows DHS to develop tactics and assess the ADS’s effectiveness in border operations. If the agency deems the system valuable, it can seek a further extension after the initial seven-month period. However, ongoing legal debates and internal dissent may shape whether the technology moves beyond testing to operational deployment.

CNN