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ICE Awards $16.7M No-Bid Contract for Shock Gloves
Newser • • nation
Key Points:
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has approved a $16.7 million no-bid contract to purchase 6,000 "G.L.O.V.E." devices, electric-shock patrol gloves intended to be used on individuals who are actively or passively resisting.
- The gloves, costing about $2,500 each, are promoted by ICE as tools for distraction and de-escalation to reduce the need for physical force and firearms during enforcement actions.
- The contract with Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE's use-of-force incidents, including recent fatal shootings during vehicle stops.
- Sixteen Senate Democrats and civil rights advocates have expressed concerns about the gloves' safety, oversight, and potential misuse, urging ICE to cancel the contract.
- Homeland Security officials defend the acquisition, stating that criticism of the gloves aims to deny officers access to necessary protective equipment.
