White House border czar Tom Homan defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s proposal to purchase thousands of electric shock gloves, characterizing them as a tool to help officers achieve compliance without resorting to lethal force. Speaking on Fox News Channel, Homan argued the devices would provide another option between non-force tactics and deadly force, similar to existing tools like Tasers or pepper spray.
ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on the devices, known as the G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC. The shock gloves have been used by some jails and police departments in recent years. Homan indicated the devices would not be deployed immediately, stating the agency is still developing training protocols and policy guidelines for their use.
The proposal has drawn opposition from civil rights groups, congressional Democrats, and some use-of-force experts, who point to six people shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents since last year as evidence of excessive force. Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall in Kentucky, whose facility has used the gloves for four years, testified that the devices deliver intense but temporary pain without incapacitating individuals or leaving marks, and characterized them as effective in gaining inmate compliance.
Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina specializing in police use-of-force, recommended broader study of the devices before widespread deployment. Alpert cautioned that ICE officers may lack training in de-escalation techniques common to local police, making user error likely, and suggested a smaller initial purchase would be more prudent while proper guidelines are established.
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