ICE to Spend $20 Million on Electric Shock Gloves

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly plans to spend $20 million on gloves that can deliver electric shocks as a "de-escalation device." Outlets on the left emphasized mistrust of ICE due to past instances of violence and excessive use of force. Outlets on the right downplayed the effects of the devices and highlighted the need for more safety and protective tools for immigration officers.

The Details: The G.L.O.V.E. device, which stands for "Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter," could be distributed to ICE agents by March 2027. The gloves deliver about 380 volts of electricity when they come in contact with skin after they have been activated, though they cannot transmit electricity through hair, clothes, fur, or other barriers. For comparison, a TASER device typically delivers around 2,000 volts when in contact with the body, according to Newsweek (Center bias). John Peters, the president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said, "It's immediate and sharp, and it will distract you. I call it like a bee sting."

For Context: The G.L.O.V.E. manufacturer notes that "no more than two gloves should be applied at one time, and generally for no longer than 15 seconds." It also warns "against using them on certain higher-risk individuals, including children, pregnant women, the elderly and disabled people," according to Newsweek.

Concerns About Abuse: A representative from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) told Associated Press (Left), "ICE spent the last year showing this country they are too quick to use force. Now they will be able to deploy electric shocks with the slight push of a button that maybe nobody else can see them do. Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public." Left outlets tended to describe the gloves as delivering "painful electrical shocks," while outlets on the right tended to highlight Peters' quote comparing it to a bee sting.

A Useful Deterrent During Arrests: Daily Wire (Right) noted that ICE's investment in the devices "comes as sources within ICE have described an uptick in violence by the individuals they're trying to arrest." It highlighted that ICE agents have seen a 1,300% increase in assaults and a 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks, based on numbers provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

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