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ICE Could Spend $20 Million on Electric Shock Gloves for Agents
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Immigration and Customs Enforcement could soon be giving its officers a rather unusual piece of equipment — gloves capable of delivering an electric shock.
ICE plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million to purchase thousands of the devices, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice. The agency describes them as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.”
The devices are known as the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky.
The gloves look and function like ordinary patrol gloves until an officer activates the electrical function. The device must make direct contact with a person's skin to deliver the shock. Unlike a traditional Taser, the gloves are designed to deliver the electrical pulse through the officer's hand.
The technology has already been used by some police departments and correctional facilities.
ICE says the equipment is intended to help officers deal with people who are combative and gain compliance while reducing the need for other uses of force.
But the proposal is already drawing criticism from civil-rights advocates and former federal officials, who warn that the technology could be difficult to monitor and potentially abused.
Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg called the proposal particularly concerning given the rapid expansion of the immigration agency and questions surrounding officer training.
The American Civil Liberties Union has also criticized the plan, arguing that giving immigration officers a concealed method of delivering pain raises serious concerns about accountability and excessive force.
DHS says it is reviewing the equipment and that decisions involving technology for ICE officers are subject to law-enforcement policies and standards.
The department did not immediately provide additional details about the proposed purchase. The CEO of Compliant Technologies also declined to comment on the potential DHS purchase.
The devices are expected to be rolled out by March 2027 if the planned procurement moves forward.
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