ICE seeks $20m for electric shock gloves

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to spend up to $20 million on specialized gloves that deliver electric shocks to force compliance. The Department of Homeland Security published a notice for the CTG 5 GLOVE, manufactured by Compliant Technologies, with deliveries expected by March 2027. The device, described as a de-escalation tool, can deliver up to 380V and is designed to inhibit muscle movement. Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have condemned the plan as a potential source of harm and abuse.

The specific device is the CTG 5 GLOVE (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), also referred to by the manufacturer as a CD3 (Conductive Distraction and De-escalation) device. The shock feature can be activated in one second using a switch on the glove. The manufacturer describes the gloves as a "humane, low-optics, de-escalation solution" that is "usually effective in bringing individuals into compliance in less than three seconds."

The user guide warns against using more than one pair on a single individual, shocking people for more than 15 seconds, or using the device on high-risk populations including children, the elderly, pregnant people, or those with disabilities. The gloves are not immediately identifiable as a weapon, with the manufacturer calling them an "invisible partner." Similar gloves have been used by select police departments and jails in recent years.

Two corrections officers were charged in 2022 for beating and shocking an inmate in two separate attacks. The Associated AP reported that the Department of Homeland Security offered "no immediate comment" on the purchase plans. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the ACLU, stated that the gloves could be used to deliver "terrible pain" and questioned their necessity for civil immigration enforcement.

ICE has a history of wielding power with little oversight or accountability, including using mass surveillance and intimidating tactics. The current administration is described as encouraging rough tactics. Similar devices from Compliant Technologies have been deployed by other law enforcement agencies previously.