Key facts
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to acquire up to $20 million worth of electric shock gloves.
- The devices, named G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), are made by Compliant Technologies LLC.
- The Department of Homeland Security published a notice for a no-bid contract for these devices.
- The gloves are designed to deliver a pain stimulus to gain compliance from combative individuals.
- Civil rights advocates have raised concerns about the potential misuse of force and lack of oversight.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to equip its officers with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks, according to an Associated Press exclusive. The agency intends to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices," known as G.L.O.V.E.s (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters), by March.
The devices, manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, are designed to deliver a painful stimulus directly to the skin to quickly gain compliance from combative individuals. The Department of Homeland Security published a notice for a no-bid contract for these devices, with a solicitation potentially appearing as early as Friday.
Civil rights advocates have expressed alarm, citing concerns about ICE's use of force and lack of oversight. They question the necessity of such devices for civil immigration enforcement and worry about the potential for misuse and harm to the public, especially given that individuals may not receive advance warning.
Supporters, like John Peters of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, suggest the gloves could be an effective tool for officers, particularly smaller or less physically capable ones, to manage resistance during tasks like removing uncooperative subjects from vehicles or facilities. Compliant Technologies warns the devices should not be used as punishment or on vulnerable populations. The manufacturer also states that officers must complete a course and be recertified every two years to use the equipment.