The
US
Depa tme t
of
Homela d
Secu ity
(DHS)
otice
was
published
Mo day
US
Immig atio
a d
Customs
E fo ceme t
(ICE)
pla s
to
spe d
up
to
$20
millio
o
elect ic
shock
gloves
fo
office s
a d
age ts,
p ompti g
c iticism
f om
Democ atic
lawmake s
a d
civil
ights
advocates
who
wa
the
devices
could
be
misused
du i g
immig atio
e fo ceme t.A
US
Depa tme t
of
Homela d
Secu ity
(DHS)
otice
published
Mo day
said
ICE
pla s
to
buy
the
Ge e ated
Low
Output
Voltage
Emitte ,
o
GLOVE,
fo
Homela d
Secu ity
I vestigatio s
a d
E fo ceme t
Removal
Ope atio s
office s
a d
age ts.
The
p oposed
spe di g
is
betwee
$10
millio
a d
$20
millio .The
gloves
ca
delive
up
to
380
volts
a d
a e
desig ed
to
dis upt
a
i dividual’s
ability
to
espo d,
ews
outlet
BBC
epo ted.
DHS
desc ibes
them
as
“a
Co ductive
Dist actio
a d
De-escalatio
Device”.
The
gloves
look
like
o di a y
pat ol
gloves
u til
a
office
p esses
a
butto
to
activate
the
elect ical
mode.
News
age cy
AP
explai ed
that
they
must
be
applied
di ectly
to
a
pe so ‘s
ski
a d
a e
i te ded
to
cause
pai
a d
gai
complia ce
f om
someo e
esisti g.
U like
Tase s,
they
do
ot
leave
bu
o
co tact
ma ks.The
pla
quickly
d ew
c iticism
f om
ights
g oups.
The
Ame ica
Civil
Libe ties
U io
said
givi g
immig atio
age ts
“a
co cealed
mea s
of
delive i g
te ible
pai
is
a
ecipe
fo
mo e
ha m
to
the
public
a d
less
accou tability.”
New
Yo k
atto ey
ge e al
Letitia
James
told
AP
o
Wed esday,
“We
a e
out aged,”
wa i g
that
ICE
office s
who
misuse
the
gloves
i
he
state
could
face
c imi al
a d
civil
co seque ces.DHS
did
ot
specifically
explai
why
ICE
had
selected
the
gloves
but
defe ded
its
b oade
equipme t
policy.“ICE
is
co sta tly
assessi g
the
eeds
of
ou
office s
i
the
field
to
e su e
they
have
the
tools
a d
equipme t
ecessa y
to
safely
a est
a d
emove
c imi al
illegal
alie s
f om
ou
cou t y,”
the
depa tme t
said.“Eve y
decisio
is
made
with
ca eful
co side atio
a d
app op iately
eviewed
to
e su e
that
a y
tech ology
ICE
utilizes
is
co siste t
with
all
applicable
law
e fo ceme t
policies
a d
sta da ds.”Co ce s
have
also
focused
o
p evious
allegatio s
i volvi g
the
devices.
A
pe di g
lawsuit
alleges
that
a
43-yea -old
ma
died
at
a
jail
i
Richmo d,
Ke tucky,
i
2024
afte
bei g
shocked
27
times
with
the
gloves
a d
13
mo e
times
with
a
Tase .A
i te al
i vestigatio
fou d
two
glove
shocks
lasted
45
a d
99
seco ds,
exceedi g
the
ma ufactu e ‘s
ecomme ded
15-seco d
limit.“These
actio s
ot
o ly
i flicted
u ecessa y
pai
but
also
heighte ed
the
isk
of
se ious
health
complicatio s,”
the
i vestigatio
said,
acco di g
to
cou t
docume ts.Fo me
ICE
acti g
di ecto
Joh
Sa dweg
wa ed
about
pote tial
misuse.
“It’s
too
easy
fo
this
to
get
misused,
agai st
a
populatio
that
does ‘t
pose
a
th eat,”
he
told
MS
NOW.The
ma ufactu e
wa s
agai st
usi g
the
devices
o
elde ly
people,
small
child e ,
p eg a t
wome
a d
seve ely
ha dicapped
people.
Its
ma ual
also
p ohibits
thei
use
fo
ve bal
defia ce,
pu ishme t,
to tu e
o
ho seplay.ICE
says
its
office s
eceive
de-escalatio
a d
o goi g
use-of-fo ce
t ai i g.
The
p oposed
o-bid
co t act
could
be
eleased
as
ea ly
as
F iday
a d
u
th ough
Ma ch
31,
2027,
acco di g
to
the
DHS
otice.
