WASHINGTON – ICE is expected to purchase gloves that can deliver up to 380 volts, a level three times a normal outlet, from the manufacturer Compliant Technologies. The Department of Homeland Security reports that the move would cost up to $20 million and be deployed by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations during arrests and deportations.
Unlike a taser that penetrates skin with sharp electrodes, the gloves attach to clothing first and then touch exposed skin, delivering a shock meant to deter non‑compliance. The devices can fire up to 30 pulses per second and include a microprocessor that logs each activation.
Compliant Technologies advises that the gloves should not be used on elderly, children, pregnant women or severely handicapped individuals, and that a second officer should be present to restrain a subject while the shock is applied.
Civil‑rights advocates, including the ACLU, have warned that providing agents with a concealed means of delivering pain could increase misuse and erode accountability. The deployment comes amid a series of fatal shootings by ICE agents in Texas, Maine and other states.
Agents claim the gloves are a tool for ensuring safety during sensitive operations, but critics argue the technology could be used as a soft‑knuckle force that escalates confrontations.
As the purchase moves forward, the public watches a new chapter in federal enforcement technology that arguably shifts the balance between authority and individual rights.
