Where Sources Agree

• arrows_inputPentagon Approves Heat Ray Loan: A number of outlets note that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized a seven-month temporary loan of one Active Denial System unit to the Department of Homeland Security starting in September, with DHS assuming sole operational responsibility for the device, according to a Pentagon memorandum.
• arrows_inputPentagon Authorizes Heat Ray Testing: Some outlets verify that the Pentagon has authorized the Department of Homeland Security to test the Active Denial System, a non-lethal heat ray weapon, for potential border operations, per a memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
• arrows_inputHeat Ray Testing Authorized: Several sources align on the Pentagon's authorization of a seven-month loan of the Active Denial System to the Department of Homeland Security for testing and tactical development at the southern border, according to a memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Where Sources Disagree

• arrows_outputHeat Ray Safety Controversy: While proponents describe the Active Denial System as a non-lethal tool designed to minimize casualties and deter crossings through intense, reversible heat, critics argue the weapon inflicts second-degree burns and violates human rights, citing its inclusion on prohibited equipment lists and the potential for severe, indiscriminate injury.
• arrows_outputHeat Ray Deployment History: The Pentagon has authorized a temporary loan of the Active Denial System 'heat ray' to the Department of Homeland Security for border testing. However, this initiative follows historical internal resistance, as former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen rejected a proposal to deploy the crowd-control weapon against migrants in 2018.