BARDSTOWN, Ky. (AP) — Tom Homan, the White House border czar, defended the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plan to provide officers with gloves that deliver electric shocks, stating they are intended to help officers manage confrontations without resorting to deadly force. In an interview on Fox News Channel’s "Fox & Friends," Homan explained, "It’s another device to help someone get compliant when they are not."
This marks the first public defense from the Trump administration regarding ICE's proposal to spend up to $20 million on thousands of "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices," known as the G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC. These devices have been utilized in some jails and police departments in recent years.
The plan has faced significant criticism from civil rights groups, Democrats in Congress, and some experts on use-of-force, who argue that ICE agents have been too quick to employ force during President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts. At least six individuals have been shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents since the previous year, including incidents involving motorists in Maine and Texas last month.
Homan contended that the gloves could help prevent such violent encounters, providing ICE officers with an additional less-lethal option, akin to Tasers or pepper spray, for use in potentially dangerous situations. He noted that it would take time before the gloves are used in the field, as ICE is still developing training protocols and policy considerations.
In Bardstown, Kentucky, Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall mentioned that his agency has been using the gloves for four years to manage compliance among inmates. He stated that, unlike Tasers, the gloves do not incapacitate individuals or leave burns. Hall reported experiencing the shock during training and described the pain as intense but short-lived. He highlighted the gloves as a useful initial deterrent when de-escalation techniques fail, asserting, "It’s just a safer way. It’s safer on the inmate. It’s safer on the staff. And most of the time, most of the time we get compliance."
Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina, suggested that the devices require further study to ensure proper guidance for their use. He recommended that ICE consider a smaller initial purchase due to the limited knowledge about the gloves. Alpert noted, "User error is almost predictable at some level. The tech may be fine, but let’s take a minute and make sure that it is used in an appropriate custom and practice."