3 weeks ago
ICE plans to buy electric shock gloves for immigration officers
The U.S. government's immigration police, called ICE, wants to give thousands of its officers special gloves.
These gloves can give a person an electric shock when the officer touches their bare skin.
The shock hurts and surprises people, giving officers time to grab them.
The gloves are called G.L.O.V.E. gloves and are made by a company called Compliant Technologies in Lexington, Kentucky.
Each shock carries about 210 to 362 volts of electricity, and the government might spend between $10 million and $20 million to buy thousands of pairs.
The maker says the gloves are a less-lethal tool, but civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are worried they could be misused against people who are not dangerous.
The guidance says the gloves should not be used on children, pregnant women, the elderly or people who are only arguing and not fighting.
A lawsuit claims a man died in 2024 after being shocked with the gloves many times at a jail in Kentucky.
Many people think the plan is risky and are asking the government not to buy the gloves.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to equip thousands of officers with G.L.O.V.E. gloves that deliver electric shocks through direct skin contact, according to procurement documents first reported by The Associated Press.
The proposed no-bid purchase could cost between $10 million and $20 million, with the solicitation possibly released as early as Friday and the contract running through March 31, 2027.
The gloves, also known as Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Devices (CD3), emit electrical pulses of roughly 210 to 362 volts and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky.
A pending lawsuit alleges a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after repeated glove and Taser shocks at the Madison County Detention Center in Richmond, Kentucky; an internal investigation found two shocks lasted 45 and 99 seconds, far beyond the manufacturer's recommended 15-second limit, and two other lawsuits over the gloves were dismissed.
The ACLU, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic lawmakers including Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Maxwell Frost and Delia Ramirez condemned the plan as an unnecessary, dangerous tool that risks excessive force.
- Who
- US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), its parent agency the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), manufacturer Compliant Technologies LLC, and critics including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
- What
- ICE plans to buy thousands of G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) gloves, described as Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Devices (CD3) that deliver electric shocks through direct skin contact, for field officers and agents.
- Where
- The United States; the devices are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC in Lexington, Kentucky, and a related death occurred at the Madison County Detention Center in Richmond, Kentucky.
- When
- The procurement notice was published Monday, with formal contracting possibly beginning as early as Friday; the proposed contract would run through March 31, 2027.
- Why
- The gloves are marketed as a less-lethal tool to gain compliance from people who resist immigration enforcement during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown; critics warn they could increase excessive force and be misused, and the debate comes amid nationwide protests over ICE tactics following fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year.
Civil liberties advocates
Immigration enforcement supporters
Electric shock gloves as a tool of force
Civil liberties advocates
Giving agents “a concealed means of delivering terrible pain is a recipe for more harm to the public and less accountability,” and the devices could increase the risk of excessive force during immigration arrests, searches and detention operations.
Immigration enforcement supporters
The gloves are marketed as a less-lethal alternative that helps officers gain physical compliance from people who resist enforcement, and DHS says every technology decision is carefully considered and reviewed for consistency with law enforcement policies.
Safeguards against misuse
Civil liberties advocates
Former ICE acting director John Sandweg says it is “too easy for this to get misused, against a population that doesn't pose a threat,” and a pending lawsuit alleges a man's death after repeated shocks; the Taser maker also phased out a similar drive-stun feature after misuse.
Immigration enforcement supporters
Manufacturer guidance advises against use on children, pregnant women, the elderly and the severely handicapped and against use for verbal defiance, punishment, torture or horseplay, and ICE officers receive ongoing use-of-force training.
Procurement and oversight
Civil liberties advocates
A proposed no-bid contract worth up to $20 million warrants scrutiny from lawmakers, civil rights groups and immigration advocates over the use of electrical weapons.
Immigration enforcement supporters
ICE says it is constantly assessing officers' needs so they have the tools to “safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country,” with every decision appropriately reviewed.
Key facts
- Agency
- US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Device
- G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), a Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device (CD3)
- Manufacturer
- Compliant Technologies LLC, Lexington, Kentucky
- Voltage output
- Approximately 210 to 362 volts
- Estimated cost
- $10 million to $20 million
- Contract type
- Proposed no-bid contract; solicitation possible as early as Friday
- Contract end date
- March 31, 2027
- Key critics
- ACLU, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic lawmakers including Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Maxwell Frost and Delia Ramirez
Quotes
New York Attorney General Letitia James
Attorney General of New York State
“Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilises is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards.”
thestatesman.com
“"We are outraged," she said at a news conference Wednesday, warning that ICE officers who misuse the gloves in her state could face criminal and civil consequences.”
livemint.com
Law Professor Michael Mannheimer
Professor of Law at Northern Kentucky University
“"One concern I would have is if ICE agents have this at their immediate disposal, will they use it more than they should? Will they jump over lesser force that could be appropriate and successful to attain compliance and instead use this first?"”
livemint.com
Sources
ICE to add a new tool to its crackdown arsenal — Gloves that deliver painful electric shocks
US immigration agency plans to buy electric shock gloves, raising alarm among rights advocates – ThePrint – ReutersFeed
ICE's plan to give officers electric shock gloves draws outrage, fears of misuse: ‘Another dangerous tool’
US immigration agency to give electric shock gloves to officers
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