In brief
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced plans to buy up to $20 million worth of gloves that deliver electric shocks. These devices can trigger 380‑volt pulses, aimed at assisting ICE agents in arrests and deportations. Civil‑rights groups warn that the gloves could increase force abuse and reduce accountability. The devices already see use in other agencies, but the scale of the acquisition marks the largest order yet.
ICE officers could soon be armed with gloves that deliver electric shocks as they carry out their duties.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it plans to spend up to $20 million for a new device called the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (GLOVE). That device can deliver up to 380 volts—roughly three times a standard U.S. outlet. The gloves would be activated by pressing a button and could deliver up to 30 pulses per second. Users must keep a record of each activation and the device has a built‑in microprocessor.
Co‑manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, the GLOVE is marketed as a tool to supplement existing law‑enforcement equipment. A manual advises agents to avoid use on the elderly, children, pregnant women, and the severely handicapped, and stresses that a second officer be present to restrain the subject while the gloves are used.
The gloves would be shipped to officers in Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations. ICE and other agencies already use them, but civil‑rights groups, including the ACLU, have expressed alarm over the potential for abuse.
Critics point to a history of deaths during ICE enforcement, such as the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and the death of Johan Sebastian Durán Guerrero in Maine. The agency has faced scrutiny, especially under President Donald Trump’s demand for a daily target of arrests.
ACLU deputy director Jenn Rolnick Borchetta said, "Giving immigration agents a concealed means of delivering terrible pain is a recipe for more harm to the public and less accountability." The gloves could give agents a way to apply force without obvious visual cues, raising new concerns about accountability and oversight.
The purchase agreement is a no‑bid contract that could be finalised as early as this week. ICE officials say any move will comply with all applicable law‑enforcement policies and standards, but civil‑rights advocates are already demanding transparency and stricter oversight of the new technology.
