Senators Press ICE to Scrap Plan for Electric Shock Gloves

A coalition of U.S. senators is urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to abandon a proposal to equip its officers with gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks. The call came in a letter sent Thursday to the agency's acting director, spearheaded by Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto and signed by 15 other members of the Senate Democratic caucus, including Independent Angus King of Maine.

The lawmakers questioned both the necessity of spending up to $20 million on the devices and the agency's capacity to deploy them responsibly. They pointed to recent incidents of excessive force involving ICE personnel in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and Maine, arguing these cases cast doubt on the agency's readiness to handle a new tool that could cause harm.

The plan came to light earlier this month when ICE published a notice about procuring thousands of what it called "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices." These gloves function as standard patrol gear until a button is pressed, activating an electrical mode that requires direct skin contact to deliver a painful shock, intended to compel compliance from resisting individuals. Similar devices have been used in some local jails and police departments in recent years.

In their letter, the senators warned that the gloves "present substantial risks if deployed during civil arrests," particularly without clear limits, proper training, and robust oversight. They demanded that if ICE proceeds, it must publicly disclose its training protocols and internal review procedures for documenting and evaluating glove use.

White House border czar Tom Homan has defended the proposal, suggesting the gloves could offer a non-lethal means of gaining compliance, especially in detention settings. He indicated that deployment is still months away, as the agency is currently developing training and policy guidelines.