Washington, D.C. — A group of mostly Democratic senators is urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement to abandon plans to spend up to $20 million on gloves capable of delivering electric shocks during immigration enforcement operations.
In a letter Thursday to acting ICE Director David Venturella, the lawmakers said they had “deep concern” about the proposed purchase of the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, or G.L.O.V.E. They argued that ICE should prioritize de-escalation training and accountability rather than deploy a new pain-compliance device.
The letter was led by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and signed by 15 other senators, including independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Democrats Dick Durbin, Patty Murray, Adam Schiff, Amy Klobuchar and Tammy Duckworth.
The Department of Homeland Security disclosed the plan earlier this month, saying ICE was evaluating equipment that could help officers safely make arrests. A DHS spokesperson previously said the agency routinely assesses what tools officers need in the field.
The senators countered that recent allegations of excessive force and civil rights violations make deployment of the gloves inappropriate. They called on ICE to refrain from using the devices and instead invest in training and oversight.
The letter does not itself block the purchase, and DHS has not announced that the procurement has been canceled.
Sources
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