If you can’t stand the heat, don’t come to America.
That’s the message sent by a new weapon the Pentagon has approved for testing at the southern border.
The Department of Homeland Security will be allowed to test what CNN is calling a “heat ray” and the military calls the “Active Denial System.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved the use of the nonlethal weapon that emits electromagnetic waves.
“The energy beam causes a burning sensation when it comes into contact with the human skin — which Pentagon officials have previously compared to feeling a blast of heat when opening a hot oven,” CNN reported.
“Military officials have said the resulting ‘tingling effect’ lasts between 10 and 15 minutes but also generates ‘an instinctive and irresistible urge to run from the effect,’” CNN wrote.
Where and when the device will be used was not revealed. The device is officially on a seven-month loan that began in September.
🚨🔥 The Pentagon has reportedly given the Department of Homeland Security the green light to TEST a military-grade HEAT RAY weapon at the southern border. 👏🏾
The weapon, known as the Active Denial System, uses an INVISIBLE beam of electromagnetic energy that can reach people more than HALF A MILE away.
According to the military, the non-lethal technology creates an intense burning sensation on the skin, similar to opening a hot oven and getting blasted with scorching air.
The discomfort is designed to make people instinctively move away from the beam, without using traditional ammunition.
The Pentagon describes the system as non-lethal, although that doesn’t mean it’s completely risk-free.
To be clear, authorization to test the weapon does NOT mean it has been approved for routine use against people crossing the border.
They need this for riot control. 🔥🔥 https://t.co/hUL3rsAFq8
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) October 23, 2026
The memo Hegseth signed approving use of the device said DHS is responsible for “system employment, use and development of tactics, techniques and procedures.”
“CBP is continually evaluating new technologies, especially those that enhance operational effectiveness and strengthen mission capabilities,” a Customs and Border Protection representative said.
The device is not new. It was deployed to Afghanistan almost 20 years ago, but not used.
A 2016 U.S. Air Force graphic said the device sends a 95 GHZ signal up to 1,000 meters, according to Stars and Stripes.
Should the military use nonlethal weapons like the Active Denial System at the border?
Yes, for crowd control
100% (23 votes)
No, it’s too risky
0% (0 votes)
Only in emergencies
0% (0 votes)
The technology for the project came about in the 1980s, with the first prototype tested in 2001.
“Researchers performed numerous studies that documented data showing that millimeter waves do not promote cancer or cause reproductive problems,” a 2008 Air Force news release said.
A 2007 test of 700 people exposed to the device led to only eight people suffering burns and only two requiring medical attention.
“The ADS is a nonlethal weapon that projects a long-range, man-sized beam of millimeter waves that produce a reversible heating sensation to the skin, much like opening a hot oven,” the Marines said in a 2012 statement.
“It is one of many nonlethal weapons the Marine Corps is looking to deploy into combat zones to minimize casualties and collateral damage. It can be used for perimeter defense, crowd control and area denial against any human threat,” the statement said.
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