US Expands Execution Methods to Include Firing Squads and Gas Chambers

Sat Apr 25 2026 03:24:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The US Department of Justice has announced a controversial directive that expands federal execution methods to include firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution, a move that has sparked debate and criticism.

In a significant policy shift, the US Department of Justice has authorized federal prisons to use firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution in addition to lethal injection for executions. This decision comes after previous administrations had placed a moratorium on many executions, with current Attorney General Todd Blanche asserting the need to protect the public against the most dangerous criminals. Critics, including Senator Dick Durbin, have condemned the expansion of execution methods, labeling it as cruel and discriminatory.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed federal prisons to expand the range of methods used for executions to include firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution.

In a 48-page memo released on Friday, the department states this will strengthen the death penalty, deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones.

The previous administration had placed a moratorium on most federal executions. Before leaving office, former president Joe Biden granted clemency to 37 of the 40 federal death row prisoners.

President Donald Trump directed the DOJ to resume seeking executions on his first day in office last year.

The memo also defends the use of lethal injection, calling the drug pentobarbital the gold standard of lethal injection drugs. This drug has been the default means for federal executions since 1993 but has faced criticism as being a cruel method, with challenges in sourcing the drug in recent years.

Broadening the means of executions will help ensure the Department is prepared to carry out lawful executions even if a specific drug is unavailable, according to the DOJ.

Trump, a long-time supporter of the death penalty, ended a two-decade moratorium on federal executions during his first term, with 13 death row inmates executed. Upon returning to office in January 2025, he signed an executive order calling for the death penalty for severe crimes and crimes involving illegal immigrants killing law enforcement officers.

In a statement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that the prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers.

Critics like Democratic Senator Dick Durbin have labeled this change cruel, immoral, and discriminatory, stating that the expansion of the federal death penalty will be a stain on American history.

Moreover, some states, each with their own death penalty laws, have already explored alternative methods. Currently, five states allow firing squads as a form of execution, and in 2024, Alabama became the first state to execute a prisoner using nitrogen gas, with four other states following suit.