‘Electric-shock gloves’ to subdue migrants: the new tool for an increasingly aggressive ICE
The federal agency plans to invest up to $20 million in a switch-activated device meant to gain immediate compliance from targeted individuals
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is set to invest up to $20 million in new electric-shock gloves, intended to control individuals who resist arrest. These devices, known as G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), can deliver painful shocks when activated, allowing agents to physically subdue suspects during operations.
The gloves appear ordinary until an agent activates the electrical mode, at which point the shock can be administered. ICE plans to distribute the devices to Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents and officers in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The agency's investment ranges from $10 million to $20 million, according to a federal government procurement forecast document.
The G.L.O.V.E. devices, manufactured by Compliant Technologies in Lexington, Kentucky, aim to de-escalate tense situations quickly and effectively, reducing the risk of injury to both officers and civilians. They have been used in jails and by U.S. police forces and are marketed as a "less lethal" option, effective at distances up to three meters.
If ICE procures the gloves, they will join a range of technological tools ICE uses, including facial recognition apps and license plate cameras. Civil rights groups have expressed concern that this new tool could worsen issues of excessive force, citing repeated allegations of such force resulting in fatalities. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy director of the ACLU's policing oversight project, warned that the introduction of these gloves could lead to more harm if used improperly.
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