SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — ICE agents could soon be outfitted with electric shock gloves, drawing swift backlash from human rights organizations locally and nationally.
The gloves are called the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. According to the company's website, the gloves must directly touch a person's skin for the shock to work, and are described as "the number one in hands-on de-escalation."
In a Department of Homeland Security notice posted Monday, records show ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on what the agency describes as a de-escalation product. The Associated Press was the first to report the possible plans.
The gloves are made by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company. The website displays 2 different models. In an email, the owner of the company said he was not able to comment.
Nationally, organizations like the ACLU are already pushing back on the plans. In San Diego, Benjamin Prado, with the American Friends Service Committee, called the gloves a "disgusting" idea.
"It's completely perverse to use these tools of torture as a means to detain individuals in order to subdue them," Prado said.
Prado also raised concerns that if the purchase moves forward, ICE could use the gloves on observers.
"This is gonna embolden them to then come closer to observers, and so we have to take precautions; we have to continue to monitor and document their activity," Prado said.
The potential purchase comes at a time when the Trump administration has already faced significant backlash nationwide over ICE's use of force. 2 U.S. citizens and 2 immigrants have been shot and killed in the last year.
In a statement, DHS said: “ICE is constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country. Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards.
“Our officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training. The latest ICE use of force policy is available here [urldefense.us].
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Since Day One, ICE law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of dangerous illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. While ICE law enforcement works to remove these public safety threats from American communities, they’re also facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”
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