The directive was outlined in a memo obtained by Fox News. Officials said the changes are intended to ensure that capital sentences are carried out once legal appeals have been exhausted, Fox News reported.
The department said it will reintroduce lethal injection protocols used during the first Trump administration. It also plans to expand execution methods to include additional options such as firing squads.
“Among the actions taken are readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration, expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad, and streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases,” the memo said.
“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,” the memo said
Officials are also considering the construction of additional execution facilities.
The department said it is exploring regulatory changes aimed at speeding up the appeals process. Those changes would focus on federal habeas review, which often delays executions for years or decades.
Death row inmates can remain in the appeals process for extended periods after sentencing. The department said reducing that timeline is a priority under the new policy framework to ensure more rapid justice for victims and their families.
In addition to revising execution methods, the department is directing the Bureau of Prisons to evaluate expanding federal death row capacity
On his first day in office, he issued an executive order directing federal agencies to ensure that laws authorizing capital punishment are fully implemented.
The Justice Department is bringing back the firing squad as a manner of execution in federal death penalty cases. https://t.co/syZGzbyoLD pic.twitter.com/zQdM9tyig3
— CNN (@CNN) April 24, 2026
The administration also moved in 2025 to rescind a moratorium on federal executions that had been put in place by the Justice Department under former President Joe Biden. That moratorium had paused executions at the federal level.
The move drew criticism from Republicans while receiving support from Democrats.
President Donald Trump signaled support for capital punishment at the start of his second term
The DOJ memo criticized the prior administration’s approach to capital punishment. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the previous policy failed to protect the public.
“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,” Blanche wrote.
The federal government has not historically used that method, although it remains authorized in some states.
In December 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row
In 2025, South Carolina carried out three executions by firing squad at the state level. Officials say the inclusion of the method provides an additional option where other protocols may not be available.
The use of pentobarbital is also central to the updated policy. The drug is a central nervous system suppressant and is used by some states as an alternative to multi-drug lethal injection protocols.
The Justice Department said its use complies with the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
The addition of firing squads marks a notable expansion of federal execution methods
“These steps are critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones,” the memo said.
