Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to arm its officers with a new gadget that can deliver electric shocks directly through gloves. The Department of Homeland Security has announced a potential $20 million purchase of a device called the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (GLOVE), which can produce up to 380 volts – roughly three times the charge found in a standard U.S. power outlet.
How the device works
Unlike a traditional taser, the glove does not puncture skin; instead it produces a sharp, surface‑level shock that can be delivered at a rate of up to 30 pulses per second. A small button is pressed to activate the shock and a light indicates the device is on. The glove’s built‑in microprocessor logs each activation for accountability.
Target user groups and safety guidelines
Compliant Technologies, the manufacturer, recommends the glove not be used on the elderly, children, pregnant women, or individuals with severe disabilities, and advises that an additional officer be present to restrain the subject during activation.
U.S. civil‑rights concerns
The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups have expressed alarm that ICE is equipping its agents with a covert, pain‑based restraint tool. Critics argue the system could deepen a culture of excessive force and lack of transparency, especially given the office’s history of fatal shootings during enforcement operations.
ICE officials say the gloves are intended to enhance officer safety and improve compliance during arrests of illegal immigrants, particularly those involved in transnational criminal networks.
The purchase, a no‑bid contract authorized by DHS, could be finalized as soon as Friday, marking the largest procurement of the device to date. Other law‑enforcement agencies have already adopted similar gloves, but ICE’s use would expand the reach of the technology across the nation.
Recent incidents that underscore the debate
ICE’s role in fatal shootings has come under scrutiny. In Texas, a Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was killed in a confrontation with an agent, while in Maine a Colombian national, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, was shot during an enforcement operation. These events highlight the tension between aggressive deportation policies and the duty of care for both officers and the public.
Civil‑rights activists warn that the addition of a concealed, electric shock capability could reduce accountability and create more harm for detainees, demanding oversight and stricter protocols before such devices are deployed.
