‘A High Potential for Abuse’: Plan to Equip ICE Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Draws Alarm From Former Officials
Former DHS officials tell TIME that the devices aren’t necessary as an enforcement method against civilians—and that their use would pose numerous risks.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to equip immigration officers, known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, with electric shock gloves, a development that has sparked alarm among former department officials. According to a recent notice published by DHS, it intends to spend up to $20 million by the end of March 2027 to purchase these gloves, referred to as Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters (G.L.O.V.E.s), for distribution to ICE officers.
The DHS describes these gloves as "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices" intended for use in the field.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of the administration's immigration enforcement tactics, which have resulted in at least 10 deaths since President Trump took office in January 2021. DHS spokespersons have defended the deployment of the gloves, asserting that 70% of individuals arrested by ICE are "dangerous illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime."
However, former DHS officials express significant reservations about the plan, warning that the gloves represent a significant escalation in the use of force against civilians and pose substantial risks of abuse.
John Sandweg, who served as the acting director of ICE and acting general counsel of DHS under the Obama Administration, argues that the introduction of such forceful devices is alarming. Sandweg highlights the potential for abuse due to the rapid hiring of new immigration officers, many of whom lack adequate training. He emphasizes that there is a "high potential for abuse" associated with the new devices and calls for their implementation in small pilot programs rather than nationwide deployment to ensure they are effective and not misused.
Margo Schlanger, who led DHS's office for civil rights and civil liberties during the Obama Administration, contends that the gloves are unnecessary and potentially harmful compared to existing tools like tasers. Schlanger asserts that tasers, which incapacitate individuals by temporarily paralyzing their muscles, are a more effective and safer enforcement method.
She argues that while the gloves inflict pain, they do not incapacitate and are therefore more prone to misuse and abuse. Unlike tasers, which can incapacitate from a distance without direct contact, the gloves require touch and can lead to excessive force or even harm individuals who pose no threat to law enforcement.
Furthermore, Schlanger notes the covert nature of these devices, as described by Compliant Technologies, the manufacturer, which allows for discreet application. This capability, she argues, facilitates evading public scrutiny and accountability. The ACLU's deputy director on policing, Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, echoes these concerns, stressing that the gloves may be used in situations where they are not justified and are less effective than existing tools.
Borchetta emphasizes that the gloves' covert nature exacerbates accountability issues, making it difficult to monitor their use and prevent abuse.
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