ICE plans to give officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency plans to allocate up to $20 million for purchasing electric-shock gloves, known as G.L.O.V.E., to help agents gain compliance from resistant individuals. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the procurement, targeting the production of thousands of these "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices" by March.

The gloves, manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC in Kentucky, can deliver painful electric shocks to individuals when an officer activates them using a switch, which typically results in compliance within seconds. Civil rights advocates have expressed concern over the plan, citing ICE officers' history of excessive force enforcement with limited oversight.

Compliant Technologies warns the device should not be used as punishment, against individuals displaying verbal defiance, or on vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and disabled individuals. The devices require officers to undergo training and recertification every two years to ensure proper usage.