Sen. Brian Schatz deleted a tweet Sunday that questioned whether border patrol agents used “chemical weapons” when they deployed tear gas on a group of migrants trying to cross the southern U.S. border.

Violence broke out at the border in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday when a portion of the 5,000-strong migrant caravan that has has been traveling north through Central America for the past six weeks clashed with border patrol agents at the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry. Tear gas was used against migrants who attempted to cross the border illegally.

Mr. Schatz, Hawaii Democrat, immediately questioned whether using tear gas against the migrants was a legal order and demanded to know who made the call.

Is this legal? Is this moral? Is this accurate? What is happening here? https://t.co/4BBFsLvUwE — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

Did it implement or contravene policy? — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

One tweet by Mr. Schatz that garnered some attention was one asking whether the U.S. Border Patrol violated an international arms control treaty that prohibits the use of chemical weapons.

“Why tear gas? Is this consistent with the Conventions on Chemical Weapons?” the senator tweeted.

Mr. Schatz later deleted the tweet, saying he didn’t know enough information about the incident to make such a statement. He also defended the act of routinely deleted tweets.

I went ahead and deleted the one about chemical weapons because I just don’t know enough about what happened. Does this not strike you as excessive? — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

I deleted it. Now, my turn - does any of this strike you as excessive? Morally concerning? — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

I think “who gave the order” is a relevant question. If kids are being harmed I will err on the side of being alarmed and asking questions. Even if I have to delete one of them. Deleting tweets is great everyone should try it. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

Mr. Schatz argued that it was not only moral but sane to feel “uncomfortable” with the tear-gassing of “unarmed families.”

Anyone uncomfortable with spraying tear gas on children is welcome to join the coalition of the moral and the sane. We can argue about other stuff when we’ve got our country back. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

Tear gas across the border against unarmed families is a new low. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 25, 2018

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