On Friday, the US Justice Department announced measures to reinforce the federal death penalty, including the reinstatement of firing squads and the reintroduction of lethal injection protocols used during the Trump administration. The department aims to expedite capital punishment cases and has rescinded the moratorium on federal executions imposed during President Joe Biden's administration. It has authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants, with nine already approved by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche. The Justice Department's statement emphasized its commitment to fulfilling its duty to implement lawful capital sentences after inmates have exhausted their appeals. While five states—Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—permit firing squads under certain conditions, public support for the death penalty has been waning, dropping from 80% in 1994 to 52% in 2025, according to a Gallup poll. The department's actions mark a significant shift in federal execution policy, reversing the previous administration's efforts to limit capital punishment.