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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is moving forward with plans to equip U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with electric shock gloves, according to documents filed earlier this week.
The agency is seeking up to $20 million to purchase the G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), described as a “Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device.”
These gloves deliver an electric shock similar to a Taser, according to the manufacturer’s social media posts. Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that the gloves are intended to be an additional tool for ICE officers during immigration enforcement operations.
A DHS spokesperson emphasized that ICE continually evaluates the needs of its officers to ensure they have appropriate equipment to safely carry out arrests. “Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards,” the spokesperson stated. They also noted that ICE officers undergo extensive training in de-escalation and use-of-force protocols.
The announcement comes amid a recent increase in ICE arrests, which hit record numbers in July. At the same time, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) expressed concerns, warning that “giving immigration agents a concealed means of delivering terrible pain is a recipe for more harm to the public and less accountability.”
Compliant Technologies, the maker of the gloves, declined to comment on the DHS procurement at this time. According to the company’s user manual, the gloves activate with the push of a button and must make direct contact with a subject’s skin to be effective. The device does not work through clothing or hair and may be less effective on individuals with very thick body hair.
This development coincides with ICE’s plan to equip all agents with body-worn cameras by the end of August, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability. David Venturella, ICE’s acting director, reiterated the agency’s commitment to these principles in a recent statement.
ICE has faced scrutiny after two fatal shootings involving agents who were not wearing body cameras, despite significant funding increases from recent federal legislation. If adopted widely, ICE would be the first federal agency to use this relatively new electric shock glove technology, which has already been employed by some jails and police departments.