Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar and two other senior Democratic lawmakers have urged the US government to immediately halt Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) plan to procure gloves capable of delivering electric shocks to officers and agents.In a letter to homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday, Thanedar, Bennie G Thompson and Lou Correa warned that the devices could be incorrectly used or abused by ICE personnel, potentially resulting “in injury or death”.ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of the devices, described by the Department of Homeland Security as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices”.The procurement was first announced on August 10, according to a Democratic lawmakers’ press release.
Lawmakers warn of potential misuse
Thanedar, Thompson and Correa said the devices require significant training and restraint by officers.“Given ICE’s horrific record of violence against the public, the agency must not be allowed to equip its officers and agents with a device that demands both significant training for and restraint by its users,” the lawmakers said in their letter.They also criticised the training of ICE personnel under President Donald Trump.“Under Trump, ICE has hired unqualified officers and agents and rushed them through training programs with reduced use of force instruction. Many of these officers and agents should not have been hired at all, much less let loose on American streets with a badge, a gun, and electric shock gloves,” they said.The three lawmakers urged Mullin to intervene and stop the procurement before it moves forward.Thompson is the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, while Correa and Thanedar are ranking members of the subcommittees on Border Security and Enforcement, and Oversight, Investigations and Accountability, respectively.
What are the electric shock gloves?
ICE’s planned procurement involves devices known as the GLOVE, or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter.The gloves function as normal patrol gloves until an officer activates their electrical mode with a button. The device must be applied directly to a person’s skin to deliver a voltage intended to cause pain and gain compliance from someone resisting an officer.Unlike Tasers, the gloves do not leave burns or contact marks, news agency AP reported.The devices are marketed as non-lethal and safe for the heart. However, the manufacturer warns that they “may result in injury or death”, according to the Democratic lawmakers’ press release.The manufacturer warns against using the gloves on certain groups, including elderly people, small children, pregnant women and severely handicapped people. Its user manual also warns that the devices should not be used in response to verbal defiance or for punishment, torture or horseplay.ICE’s proposed purchase is expected to cover between $10 million and $20 million worth of equipment, with the contract potentially running through March 31, 2027.
Concerns over ICE’s use of force
The lawmakers’ demand comes amid criticism of ICE’s use of force during Trump’s mass deportation campaign.ICE officers have increasingly used force to remove people from vehicles and have faced protests over their actions.Civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers have also criticised the planned procurement.Former ICE acting director John Sandweg said the gloves could be misused against people who do not pose a threat.Northern Kentucky University law professor Michael Mannheimer also raised concerns about whether officers could use the devices before considering less forceful options, AP reported.A pending lawsuit alleges a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after being shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 additional times with a Taser at a jail in Richmond, Kentucky.An internal investigation found that two of the glove shocks lasted 45 and 99 seconds, considerably longer than the manufacturer’s recommended 15-second limit.Two other lawsuits also alleged injuries involving the gloves, although both cases were dismissed.The Department of Homeland Security has defended ICE’s broader equipment procurement process, saying the agency assesses the needs of officers in the field and reviews technology to ensure it complies with applicable law enforcement policies and standards.
