ICE’s Plan to Equip Officers With Electric Shock Gloves Draws Outrage
Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million to purchase thousands of conductive distraction and de-escalation devices, known as G.L.O.V.E.s, for officers and agents, according to a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security and reported by the Associated Press.
DHS Procurement Notice and Device Mechanics
The Department of Homeland Security published a solicitation notice detailing plans to outfit personnel with the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter devices, manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. According to Associated Press reporting, the equipment functions as standard patrol gloves until an operator presses a switch to activate an electrical mode. The gloves must make direct contact with a person’s skin to deliver a pain stimulus intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.
Manufacturer guidelines warn that the devices should not be used as punishment, against individuals exhibiting merely verbal defiance, or on high-risk populations including children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and the severely disabled. To operate the equipment, personnel must complete a training course and obtain recertification every two years.
Opposition and Civil Rights Concerns
The planned procurement has drawn criticism from Democratic elected officials and civil rights advocates. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, questioned the necessity of the devices for civil immigration enforcement. According to ABC News, New York Attorney General Letitia James warned at a news conference that ICE officers who misuse the gloves in her state could face criminal and civil consequences.
Several members of Congress, including Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Maxwell Frost, and Delia Ramirez, criticized the plan on social media. Former ICE acting director John Sandweg stated in an interview that the technology is too easily susceptible to misuse against populations that do not pose a threat.
Safety Warnings and Incident History
Public records and investigations highlight past incidents involving the technology. An internal investigation by the Madison County Detention Center in Kentucky examined a 2024 case where a 43-year-old man died after receiving multiple shocks from the gloves and a Taser. Court documents cited by ABC News revealed that two of the glove shocks lasted 45 and 99 seconds, exceeding the manufacturer’s recommended 15-second limit. Additional lawsuits alleging injuries in Las Vegas and a court setting have been dismissed, according to an Associated Press review.
