Three Democratic lawmakers, including Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar, have urged the US government to immediately halt Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) plan to procure electric shock gloves, warning that the devices could be misused and lead to serious injuries or deaths.
In a letter sent on Friday to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, and Lou Correa said the gloves, which deliver electric shocks, require significant training and restraint by officers. "Given ICE's horrific record of violence against the public, the agency must not be allowed to equip its officers and agents with a device that demands both significant training for and restraint by its users," the lawmakers wrote.
ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of what the Department of Homeland Security calls "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices." The procurement was first announced on August 10, according to a press release from the Democratic lawmakers, and the gloves are expected to be acquired by March.
The lawmakers also criticized the training of ICE personnel under President Donald Trump. "Under Trump, ICE has hired unqualified officers and agents and rushed them through training programs with reduced use of force instruction. Many of these officers and agents should not have been hired at all, much less let loose on American streets with a badge, a gun, and electric shock gloves," they said. They urged Mullin to intervene and halt the procurement before it moves forward.
Thanedar is the ranking member of the Congressional subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Accountability, while Thompson is the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and Correa is the ranking member of the subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement. Thanedar also tweeted: "Federal officers must follow the law, not abuse their power. We need answers and accountability."
The request comes as ICE faces criticism over aggressive tactics during Trump's mass deportation campaign. According to reports, ICE agents have used pepper spray against protesters, dragged people out of vehicles, and fatally shot at least six people during Trump's second term.
Details of the gloves
The gloves, which function as normal patrol gloves, are activated with a button and must be applied to the skin to deliver a voltage. According to The Times of India, citing an Associated Press report, the manufacturer warns the gloves "may result in injury or death" and advises against use on elderly individuals, small children, pregnant women, and the severely handicapped. The user manual also warns against using the gloves in response to verbal defiance or for punishment, torture, or horseplay.
The expected contract is worth between $10 million and $20 million and could extend through March 31, 2027.
Concerns from experts and legal cases
Civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers have criticized the procurement. Former ICE acting director John Sandweg said the gloves could be misused, and Northern Kentucky University law professor Michael Mannheimer raised concerns about their use, as reported by The Times of India.
The Times of India also reported on a pending lawsuit alleging that a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after being shocked 27 times with gloves and 13 times with a Taser at a jail in Richmond, Kentucky. An internal investigation found that two glove shocks lasted 45 and 99 seconds, longer than the recommended 15-second limit. Two other lawsuits alleging injuries from the gloves were dismissed. DHS has defended ICE's broader equipment procurement process.