Alarm over $20m plan to supply ICE officers with electric-shock gloves

Key Points:

• The Department of Homeland Security plans to spend up to $20 million to equip ICE officers with electric shock gloves called G.L.O.V.E., raising concerns amid lawsuits over their use in correctional facilities and schools.
• Civil rights advocates criticize ICE for lowering hiring and training standards and warn the gloves could be used abusively, especially in detention centers like Fort Bliss, where allegations of mistreatment exist.
• The gloves deliver electric shocks between 324 to 380 volts and require direct skin contact; they have been used by around 50 police departments in 20 states, including in schools, where incidents of use on students have occurred.
• Lawsuits have been filed over excessive and potentially deadly use of the gloves, including a case where a man died after being shocked multiple times in a Kentucky jail and another involving a mentally ill detainee alleging excessive force.
• ICE and DHS defend the gloves as necessary tools for safely arresting individuals, emphasizing training and policy compliance, while critics highlight risks of misuse, lack of widespread adoption, and insufficient oversight.