ICE plans $20M purchase of electric-shock gloves for agents

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to acquire thousands of electric-shock gloves for its officers and agents, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights advocates.

The Department of Homeland Security published a notice on Monday outlining plans to spend up to $20 million on the devices, which are formally called Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, or G.L.O.V.E. The no-bid contract solicitation could be issued as early as Friday, according to the notice.

The gloves, manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky, function as standard patrol gloves until an officer activates a switch. When pressed against bare skin, the device delivers a sharp, distracting pain stimulus designed to help officers gain compliance within seconds.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, who has studied the device's use, described the sensation as similar to a bee sting. He said the gloves could be particularly useful for smaller, weaker, or older officers, as they enable faster takedowns and shorten confrontations. Peters noted the planned ICE purchase would likely be the largest from the company to date and envisioned agents using them to remove uncooperative individuals from vehicles, homes, and detention facilities.

The manufacturer cautions that the device should not be used as punishment, against people showing only verbal defiance, or on high-risk groups such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly or disabled. Officers must complete a training course and be recertified every two years.

Civil liberties groups have expressed alarm. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the public should have no confidence that ICE officers will use the devices appropriately. She questioned the need for such tools in civil immigration enforcement and warned that shocks could be delivered discreetly, with no advance warning to the recipient.

"ICE spent the last year showing this country they are too quick to use force," she said. "Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public."

Supporters point out that the gloves are typically used in specific jail and transport situations, such as subduing violent suspects refusing to enter squad cars or inmates threatening officers. Peters acknowledged that a small number of employees might misuse the devices, as with any policing technology, but said they are unlikely to cause injuries. He stressed the importance of robust policies and training.

The Department of Homeland Security offered no immediate comment on the plan.