ICE plans $20 million purchase of electric-shock gloves for officers

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend up to $20 million on thousands of gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks to help officers restrain combative individuals, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice reviewed by an American news agency.

The devices, known as G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. ICE plans to acquire the devices by March, with a solicitation for a no-bid contract potentially to be issued as early as Friday.

The gloves function as standard patrol gloves until an officer activates their electrical mode. The manufacturer says they must be applied directly to a person's skin to deliver a pain stimulus intended to gain compliance within seconds.

Civil rights advocates criticised the planned purchase, citing concerns over ICE's use of force and oversight. The American Civil Liberties Union questioned why the devices would be needed for civil immigration enforcement and warned they could be used without the subject knowing in advance.

Supporters of the technology say it is primarily used in specific jail and transport situations, including to restrain violent suspects or inmates who pose a threat to themselves or officers.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said the planned ICE purchase would likely be the company's largest to date. He said the gloves could help officers restrain uncooperative people during operations involving vehicles, homes and detention facilities.

The manufacturer warns that the devices should not be used as punishment or against people displaying only verbal defiance or belligerence. It also advises against their use on children, pregnant women, elderly people and people with disabilities.

Officers must complete a training course to use the devices and be recertified every two years, according to the manufacturer.

By Aghakazim Guliyev