Homan defends ICE shock gloves as less-lethal option

White House border czar Tom Homan has publicly defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement's plan to equip officers with gloves that deliver painful electric shocks, framing the devices as a way to resolve confrontations without resorting to lethal force.

In an interview Thursday on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends," Homan described the gloves as "another device to help someone get compliant when they are not." He argued that officers need options between verbal commands and deadly force, saying, "You can't just go from 0 to 100, right, and the first thing you go for is lethal force."

The remarks mark the Trump administration's first public defense of the plan, which calls for spending up to $20 million to purchase thousands of the devices, known as G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), from Compliant Technologies LLC. The gloves have already been used by some jails and police departments.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups, Democratic lawmakers, and use-of-force experts, who point to at least six fatal shootings by immigration enforcement agents since last year, including two motorists killed last month in Maine and Texas. Homan argued the gloves could help prevent such deadly encounters, offering agents a less-lethal option similar to Tasers or pepper spray for use on the streets and in detention facilities.

He acknowledged that it would "be awhile" before the gloves are deployed in the field, as ICE is still developing training protocols and policy guidelines.

In Bardstown, Kentucky, Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall said his facility has used the gloves for four years to gain compliance from out-of-control inmates. Unlike Tasers, he said, the shocks do not incapacitate people or leave burn marks. Hall, who has been shocked by the gloves more than 10 times during training, described the pain as intense but said it stops as soon as the gloves are removed from skin. He said the devices have been used sparingly but serve as an effective initial deterrent when de-escalation fails.

"It's just a safer way. It's safer on the inmate. It's safer on the staff," Hall said. "Most of the time we get compliance. It's been a great tool for our facility."

Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina who studies police use-of-force, urged caution. He said the devices need broader study to ensure agencies have clear guidance on their use. Alpert suggested ICE might be wiser to start with a smaller purchase, given how little is known about the gloves.

"You are wholesaling these to a group of officers who may not be trained in other strategies like de-escalation," he said. "User error is almost predictable at some level. The tech may be fine, but let's take a minute and make sure that it is used in an appropriate custom and practice."