The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and other personnel with electroshock gloves, referred to as GLOVEs, intended for de-escalation purposes. The agency is set to spend between $10 million and $20 million on these devices, which are characterized as 'conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.'
Manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC in Lexington, Kentucky, the gloves are designed to deliver low output voltage electrical pulses that aim to quickly distract individuals without causing burns or marks. The company states that the discomfort from the device can help bring individuals into compliance in under three seconds.
Officers will be required to complete a training course and undergo recertification every two years to use the GLOVE technology. John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, indicated that the gloves could assist officers in safely removing subjects from vehicles. This announcement follows recent scrutiny of ICE's use of force during vehicle stops, which resulted in two fatal shootings in Texas and Maine. ICE had temporarily suspended vehicle stops for review, but this directive was quickly overturned by President Donald Trump. The incidents have intensified discussions regarding ICE enforcement tactics amid ongoing immigration policy debates.