Shock gloves bought by ICE cause intense pain, Army study says

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has signed a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of electric-shock gloves, known as G.L.O.V.E.s, despite a 2024 Army study finding they cause 'intense pain' and 'excessive apprehensiveness' in subjects. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security defend the purchase as a necessary de-escalation tool to protect officers from rising violence and reduce the need for lethal force. Conversely, critics, watchdog groups, and Democratic senators argue the devices lack safety data and could facilitate abuse, citing the Army's findings on pain-based compliance and a reported death in a Kentucky jail involving the technology.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has signed a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of electric-shock gloves, known as G.L.O.V.E.s, despite a 2024 Army study finding they cause 'intense pain' and 'excessive apprehensiveness' in subjects. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security defend the purchase as a necessary de-escalation tool to protect officers from rising violence and reduce the need for lethal force. Conversely, critics, watchdog groups, and Democratic senators argue the devices lack safety data and could facilitate abuse, citing the Army's findings on pain-based compliance and a reported death in a Kentucky jail involving the technology.