US News
DHS plans $20m contract for electric-shock gloves for ICE officers
Civil rights advocates have raised concerns over a proposed rollout of conductive distraction devices to immigration officers.
The short version
- The Department of Homeland Security published plans to spend up to $20 million by March 2027 to supply ICE officers with G.L.O.V.E. electric-shock devices.
- The gloves, which deliver 324 to 380 volts upon contact with bare skin, are intended by DHS as safety and arrest tools for law enforcement.
- Civil rights groups like the ACLU voiced concerns over agency oversight and potential misuse, citing prior lawsuits and safety incidents in local jails and schools.
- It remains unconfirmed whether DHS will finalize the purchase contract or establish specific operational guidelines for field deployment.
Key facts
- The Department of Homeland Security published plans to spend up to $20 million to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with G.L.O.V.E. electric-shock devices by March 2027.[The Guardian]
- The G.L.O.V.E. device is manufactured by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies and delivers voltages ranging from 324 to 380 volts when a wearer presses a button and makes contact with bare skin.[The Guardian]
- Approximately 50 police departments across 20 states use the gloves, though Omaha police recently agreed to stop using them in public schools at the local superintendent's request.[The Guardian]
- The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the procurement plan, citing concerns regarding training, lack of oversight, and risks of abuse in streets and detention centers.[The Guardian]
- A DHS spokesperson stated that ICE evaluates equipment to ensure officers have tools to safely perform arrests in compliance with law enforcement standards.[The Guardian]
- The devices have been involved in legal disputes, including a pending wrongful death suit in Kentucky alleging a man suffered cardiac arrest after being shocked with the gloves and a Taser in a county jail.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It is uncertain whether the DHS procurement plans will be formally executed as scheduled or if deployment rules will restrict their use in specific facilities.[The Guardian]