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ICE signed $16.7m shock-glove contract despite army study showing intense pain

Previously unreleased report from Fort Leavenworth found electric-shock gloves quickly subdued 'combative prisoners' but left them sore and fearful

By LineZotpaper
Published
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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of electric-shock gloves in August, despite a previously unreleased army study showing the devices caused intense pain, immediate cessation of resistance, and lingering apprehension among participants, according to records obtained by watchdog American Oversight and shared with the Associated Press.

The electric-shock gloves, branded G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) and manufactured by Compliant Technologies of Lexington, Kentucky, were tested during a military exercise at the Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas in October 2024, as the Biden administration was in its final months.

The study, shared with the Associated Press by its authors and previously unreported, found that army employees role-playing combative prisoners stopped resisting seconds after officers applied shocks by touching the gloves to their skin. Despite several participants being large-statured men, the shocks produced 'fatigue, soreness and excessive apprehensiveness to being shocked again'.

The findings were known to ICE leaders before the agency signed the $16.7m contract for 6,000 pairs of gloves in August, according to records obtained by the American Oversight watchdog group. The acquisition came amid a hardline anti-immigration crackdown and record arrests and detentions of immigrants the government wants to deport.

Experts have expressed alarm over the planned deployment of the gloves, pointing to high-profile lawsuits over their use in local correctional facilities. In one extreme case, a 43-year-old man died after allegedly being shocked 40 times by officers using a combination of the gloves and a Taser in a Kentucky county jail. His widow is suing authorities.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The contract raises concerns about the use of potentially painful electric-shock devices on detainees and protesters in immigration enforcement, a practice that could lead to legal challenges and human rights scrutiny.
  • The fact that ICE proceeded despite the army study's findings may intensify public and expert criticism of the agency's tactics during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
  • The case highlights broader questions about the use of less-lethal weapons in civilian law enforcement and the adequacy of testing before deployment.

Background

The electric-shock gloves are marketed as a less-lethal control tool, but their use in local jails has already sparked lawsuits. The Fort Leavenworth exercise was one of the few controlled tests to evaluate their effects on uncooperative subjects. The study's findings, though not publicly released, were available to ICE before the contract was signed.

Key Perspectives

ICE and Compliant Technologies: The devices are intended to provide officers with a non-lethal means of subduing resisting individuals. The contractor is owned by military veterans and likely argues the gloves are safer than firearms. Watchdogs and critics: Organizations like American Oversight and civil liberties advocates are concerned about the painful effects and the potential for misuse, citing the Kentucky death and the lack of transparency around the study. Army study authors: Their report documents the gloves' effectiveness but also notes severe discomfort and psychological effects, suggesting a need for caution and more rigorous evaluation.

What to Watch

  • Whether the Kentucky lawsuit or other litigation leads to new restrictions on the gloves' use in federal agencies.
  • Any further congressional or public scrutiny of ICE's procurement process and the army study's findings.
  • Possible revisions to ICE policy or training if the gloves are deployed and adverse incidents occur.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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