The Tear Gas Cycle: Unfinished Business from Selma to Trump’s America

Charles Mauldin’s story is a testament to the cyclical nature of oppression and resistance in America. At 17, he stood alongside John Lewis on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965, facing down police brutality. Now, at 78, he watches with horror as children are tear-gassed by federal immigration officers, their young lungs and bodies affected by the same toxic chemicals that scarred his own.

Mauldin’s experience is not isolated; at least 79 children have been physically harmed by tear gas and pepper spray during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts. A 6-month-old baby briefly stopped breathing, a 12-year-old boy developed hives and chronic respiratory issues, and needed an inhaler. A 17-year-old suffered from a severe asthma attack. These incidents reflect a broader pattern of disregard for human life.

The lack of accountability is striking: there is no national standard governing the use of tear gas and pepper spray. Federal immigration officers have more latitude to deploy these weapons than some local police departments. In many cases where children were harmed, DHS officials justified their actions but failed to address how these chemicals affected bystanders. The agency’s statement that they “do not target children” is undermined by such evidence.

Mauldin developed asthma years after being tear-gassed, a condition he believes was exacerbated by his experience on Bloody Sunday. The same chemicals that damaged his lungs are now causing irreparable harm to children across America. Historians suggest that the trauma inflicted upon Mauldin and countless others during the Civil Rights Movement has had lasting impacts on their lives, contributing to intergenerational cycles of pain and suffering.

The lack of research on the long-term effects of exposure to tear gas and pepper spray only adds to the sense of urgency. Experts like Sven Jordt point out that there is no conclusive evidence that tear gas causes asthma, but it can certainly cause lung injury. The implications are far-reaching: how will these children navigate their lives with bodies forever changed by the chemicals used against them?

“It’s a pretty harrowing experience, especially for kids,” Mauldin said. As we watch the news unfold, with each new report of tear-gassed children, we are reminded that the unfinished business of Selma remains very much alive. The question is no longer whether these chemicals are used but how we respond to their consequences.

Having people like ICE treat people the way they were treated 61 years ago “is horrible,” Mauldin said. This sentiment speaks not just to the actions of federal immigration officers but also to our collective failure as a society. We have allowed the trauma inflicted upon Mauldin and countless others during Bloody Sunday to persist, even to escalate.

The time has come for us to reckon with this legacy, to confront the toxic cycle that binds us to the past. It is not just about changing policies or imposing accountability but about acknowledging the inherent worth of every human being. As we move forward, let us remember Mauldin’s words: “We had to put ourselves in a place beyond fear.”