US Justice Department Revives Firing Squads and Lethal Injection for Federal Executions
The United States Department of Justice announced on Friday that it is taking decisive steps to strengthen the federal death penalty, including the reintroduction of firing squads as a method of execution and the readoption of the lethal injection protocol used during the first administration of President Donald Trump.
In a formal news release, the department stated: “Today, the Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences – clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals.”
Key Changes Announced
The department outlined several major modifications to federal execution protocols. These include readopting the lethal injection protocol from the first Trump administration, which relies on pentobarbital as the lethal agent. Additionally, the protocol has been expanded to include alternative methods, such as execution by firing squad. The department also noted that it is streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases.
The announcement further reveals that the DoJ has rescinded the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions and has authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche has already approved seeking the death penalty for nine of these individuals.
Background and Context
Shortly after taking office in January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order committing to pursue federal death sentences and directing the attorney general to ensure states have adequate supplies of lethal injection drugs. The Justice Department said on Friday that since then, it has “taken sustained action to implement that directive and reverse the Biden Justice Department’s efforts to erode the death penalty.”
Federal executions had been on hold since 2021, when then-Attorney General Merrick Garland imposed a moratorium under the Biden administration, pending a review of policies and procedures. During Trump’s first term, the government resumed federal executions after a nearly 20-year pause. At the state level, five states—Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—currently allow execution by firing squad under certain circumstances, according to the Associated Press.
Future Measures and Reactions
The Justice Department also announced plans to consider a rule empowering states to streamline federal habeas review of capital cases and to publish a proposed rule prohibiting capital inmates from submitting clemency petitions. These measures are expected in the coming weeks.
Executions in the US rose last year to their highest level in 16 years, yet public support for the death penalty appears to be declining. A Gallup poll published in October 2025 found that support for capital punishment for convicted murderers has dropped from 80% in 1994 to 52% in 2025. The Death Penalty Information Center noted that “the evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the American people even as elected officials schedule executions in search of diminishing political benefits.”
Human rights group Reprieve condemned the announcement. Deputy Director Matt Wells stated: “They don’t care how they do it – this report opens the door to a whole range of appalling methods.” His statement underscored the federal government’s determination to execute at all costs.
