U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to purchase thousands of gloves capable of delivering painful electrical shocks — technology the manufacturer describes as a tool for gaining compliance and de-escalating confrontations. Civil rights advocates, however, are warning that the devices could create new opportunities for abuse.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents could soon carry a new type of enforcement device: gloves that function normally until an officer activates an electrical mode capable of delivering a painful shock through direct contact with a person’s skin.
According to a Department of Homeland Security notice, ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to acquire thousands of what the government calls “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices” by March.
How the Electric Shock Gloves Work
The device is known as the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and is manufactured by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies.
The gloves can be worn like ordinary patrol gloves. When the electrical function is activated, an officer must make direct contact with a person’s skin to deliver the electrical stimulus.
The manufacturer says the resulting pain is intended to interrupt resistance and allow officers to gain control of a situation within seconds.
The technology has previously been used by some police departments and correctional facilities, including situations involving resistant or combative individuals.
Manufacturer Calls It a De-Escalation Tool
Supporters of the technology argue that the gloves could shorten physical confrontations and potentially reduce the need for more serious uses of force.
The manufacturer also places restrictions on how the device should be used. Its guidance says the gloves should not be used as punishment, against someone simply because of verbal defiance, or against high-risk groups including children, pregnant women, elderly people and people with certain disabilities.
Officers are also required to undergo training and periodic recertification before using the device.
Civil Rights Advocates Raise Concerns
The planned purchase is already drawing criticism from civil liberties advocates.
The American Civil Liberties Union has questioned whether electrical shock devices are appropriate for civil immigration enforcement and warned that the gloves could be particularly difficult for witnesses to notice because an officer can activate the electrical function with the push of a button.
Critics say clear rules, oversight and accountability would be especially important if ICE moves forward with widespread deployment of the technology.
What Happens Next
The DHS notice indicates that the government is considering a potential no-bid contract for the devices. The procurement process is still developing, meaning the announcement does not mean that all ICE agents are currently carrying the gloves.
If the purchase proceeds as planned, however, it could represent one of the largest deployments of the technology to date.
The proposal adds another controversial tool to the broader debate over how much force immigration officers should be permitted to use — and what safeguards should accompany new enforcement technology.
Sources: CNN, Associated Press, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Compliant Technologies.