Storm in the US: Immigration authority to purchase electric shock gloves for millions
The stated goal of the procurement is to "achieve compliance quickly and prevent escalation." Human rights organizations and senior officials in the United States have sharply criticized the plan, citing a death case linked to the use of such gloves: "This will lead to a severe escalation in violence."
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to purchase thousands of electric shock gloves for its agents, a move that is sparking a storm of controversy and numerous objections. The value of the deal is estimated at over 20 million dollars, and the official tender is expected to be published soon.
The devices, manufactured by the company Compliant Technologies, are defined by the U.S. government as a de-escalation tool intended to help agents "take control quickly" of suspects. The agency intends to distribute the gloves to field and investigative teams to be used during arrests and the deportation of illegal residents.
380 volts at the press of a switch
According to the manufacturer's specifications, the gloves look and feel like regular patrol gloves, but when activated via a dedicated switch, they provide an electrical stimulus upon direct contact with bare skin at a voltage of up to 380 volts. The sensation, it is claimed, is immediate and sharp—"similar to a bee sting"—and is usually sufficient to achieve compliance in less than three seconds.
The agency's guidelines prohibit the use of more than one pair of gloves on a single person, as well as the activation of the electrical stimulus for more than 15 seconds continuously. The company warns that the device should not be used for punishment purposes, against people expressing verbal resistance only, or on children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Outrage among human rights organizations
The plan has sparked sharp criticism from civil rights organizations and senior officials in the justice system. They claim that this concealed measure could lead to an escalation in the use of force, especially in encounters with migrants accused of civil offenses only. Critics point out that a lawsuit currently underway in Kentucky claims that a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after receiving repeated electric shocks, including 27 shocks from the use of this type of glove.
Leading organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center have expressed deep concern about the move, according to a report in U.S. News & World Report magazine. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the state's Attorney General, Letitia James, also sharply criticized the plan, claiming that it could violate civil rights and increase violence in the field.
In the past, the U.S. Army examined the use of the gloves but decided not to adopt them. As of today, the devices are in limited use only in a number of local police stations and county jails in the U.S.
