Gambiaj.com – (WASHNGTON, United States) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to spend up to $20 million to equip its officers and agents with gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks to people who resist arrest or detention, according to a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security.
The proposed purchase involves thousands of devices known as the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. The devices are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, a Kentucky-based company whose products have been used by some U.S. jails and police departments.
The Department of Homeland Security said the solicitation for a no-bid contract could be published as early as Friday, with the devices expected to be acquired by March.
DHS did not immediately comment on the planned purchase. Compliant Technologies CEO and founder Jeff Niklaus also declined to discuss the matter.
How the gloves work
According to the manufacturer, the G.L.O.V.E. looks and functions like a conventional pair of patrol gloves until an officer activates its electrical mode with a switch.
The gloves must be applied directly to a person’s skin to deliver an electrical stimulus intended to cause pain and gain compliance. The company says the effect is typically immediate and can help officers control a resistant individual within seconds.
John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said the device could be particularly useful in situations involving people who refuse to leave vehicles or buildings or who resist being moved into or out of detention facilities.
He said ICE’s planned purchase would likely be the largest order placed with the company so far.
“For smaller officers or weaker officers or older officers, I think it has a great advantage,” Peters said, arguing that the device could allow officers to gain control more quickly and shorten physical confrontations.
Civil rights groups raise concerns
The planned purchase has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates, who argue that ICE already faces scrutiny over its use of force and what they describe as limited oversight and accountability.
Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, questioned the need for such devices in civil immigration enforcement.
She also expressed concern that people could be shocked without advance warning during encounters with ICE officers.
The manufacturer cautions that the gloves should not be used as punishment or against people who are merely verbally defiant or belligerent. It also advises against their use on children, pregnant women and elderly or disabled people.
Training and restrictions
Compliant Technologies says the devices have generally been used in controlled settings, including jails and prisoner transport, rather than as routine street-patrol equipment.
The company says the gloves have been used to subdue violent suspects who refuse to enter police vehicles, as well as inmates who are harming themselves or threatening officers.
Peters acknowledged that, like other law-enforcement technologies, the devices could be misused by individual officers. However, he said he does not expect them to routinely cause injuries and stressed the importance of comprehensive policies and training.
Officers must complete a training course before using the device and undergo recertification every two years, according to the manufacturer.
The planned acquisition comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement across the United States, placing ICE officers at the center of an increasingly contentious debate over the use of force during immigration arrests and deportation operations.
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