ICE is planning a $20 million purchase of a weapon almost impossible to spot

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, known for its use of force, is investing up to $20 million in a new device to subdue detainees quickly. Known as electrified gloves, these devices can deliver a painful shock that can incapacitate a person within seconds. Despite their sci-fi-like appearance, such gloves are already in use by law enforcement agencies and prisons across the country.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the contract for the conductive distraction and de-escalation device in a notice reported by the Associated Press. The gloves are manufactured by Kentucky-based vendor Compliant Technologies, a company that specializes in non-lethal solutions for various sectors including law enforcement, corrections, security, and healthcare.

The device, called the CTG-5 Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter or G.L.O.V.E., will be distributed to agents in ICE's Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations, which are responsible for arrests, deportations, and detention center management. While marketed as a humane, low-visibility de-escalation solution, ICE, with its history of using excessive force, has been criticized for its aggressive policing tactics.

The agency faced significant backlash earlier this year after immigration agents killed two bystanders, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during a federal enforcement surge in Minnesota. Compliant Technologies states that the gloves are not considered weapons due to their low electrical current, which is applied through contact pads on the palm and doesn't travel through clothing.

The gloves should not be used on the head, throat, chest, or groin, and the shock is recommended to be applied for 15 seconds per use. The device works by over-stimulating the sense of touch in the peripheral nervous system, causing the subject to lose control of their muscles. While the company claims the gloves are safe when used correctly and have a built-in microprocessor to record usage data, concerns still exist about potential misuse, especially by an agency with a history of rejecting accountability.