WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — A plan to equip U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with electric shock gloves has drawn concern from lawmakers and civil rights advocates.
Indian American Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., joined Reps. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., and Lou Correa, D-Calif., in urging the government to stop the plan. The lawmakers sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
They said ICE should not give its officers a device that requires strict training and careful use. They also raised concerns about ICE hiring and training practices under President Donald Trump.
ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on thousands of conductive distraction and de-escalation devices. The agency expects to receive the devices by March 2027.
The gloves carry the brand name G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. Compliant Technologies, a company based in Lexington, Kentucky, makes the device.
The gloves can deliver an electric shock when an officer presses a button and touches or grips bare skin. The company markets the product as a tool for law enforcement and other approved users.
However, Thanedar and his colleagues questioned whether ICE can use the technology safely. They pointed to what they described as a troubling record of violence involving the agency.
The lawmakers also criticized changes to ICE hiring and training standards. They argued that officers need strong training before they receive access to force-related equipment.
In Kentucky, A 43-year-old man died after officers allegedly shocked him about 40 times with a combination of the gloves and a taser at a county jail. The man’s wife has filed a lawsuit against authorities.
Civil rights advocates have also opposed the ICE electric shock glove plan. Sarah Mehta, deputy director of government affairs in the equality division of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the agency’s recent hiring push creates added concerns.
Mehta argued that ICE has lowered some hiring, training, and background requirements. She said that makes the planned use of electric shock gloves especially troubling.
She also raised concerns about how officers might use the devices in public. In addition, she questioned what could happen at detention facilities where outside oversight may remain limited.
The manufacturer says only verified groups such as law enforcement agencies, correctional facilities, military organizations, security teams, and emergency medical services can buy the device.
