Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to implement the use of electric shock gloves designed to incapacitate individuals by causing pain. The agency intends to allocate between $10 and $20 million for this initiative, which will equip officers from Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations. This decision follows scrutiny of ICE's use of force amid several incidents resulting in fatalities and violent encounters.
The gloves, known as the CTG-5 Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E), are manufactured by Compliant Technologies based in Kentucky. According to the user guide, the gloves should not be used for punishment or against individuals who are verbally defiant, and their use is discouraged on vulnerable populations such as the elderly and pregnant women.
Concerns have been raised regarding the potential for misuse of the gloves. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy director of the ACLU's policing division, expressed worries that the gloves could lead to covert use of force, increasing harm to the public and reducing accountability. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE officers are trained in de-escalation tactics and receive ongoing training in the use of force. Additionally, ICE is expanding its use of body cameras following previous incidents involving use of force.