US News
Democratic senators urge ICE to cancel $20 million plan to purchase electric shock gloves
Lawmakers raised concerns about potential misuse, while administration officials defend the devices as a safe alternative to deadly force.
The short version
- A group of 16 senators, led by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, sent a letter calling on ICE to cancel its plan to acquire electric shock gloves.
- The purchase outline involves acquiring up to $20 million worth of conductive devices designed to gain compliance through skin-contact electrical shocks.
- Administration officials defended the gloves as a non-lethal tool for detention settings, noting deployment remains months away while training policies are set.
Key facts
- A group of 16 U.S. senators led by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto urged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cancel its plan to buy electric shock gloves.[Associated Press]
- The potential purchase plan involves spending up to $20 million on thousands of conductive distraction devices for officers and investigators.[Associated Press]
- The gloves act as standard patrol gloves until activated by a button to deliver an electrical shock directly to bare skin.[Associated Press]
- White House border czar Tom Homan defended the plan, stating the gloves offer a non-deadly alternative to gain compliance and that deployment is months away pending final training and policy guidelines.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- Whether ICE will proceed with the proposed procurement or adopt the oversight and public reporting requirements requested by the senators.[Associated Press]