Trump Administration Faces Pressure To Stop ICE Electric Shock Glove Purchase
Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar has urged the Trump administration to immediately halt an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plan to procure electric shock gloves, warning that the devices could be misused and lead to serious injuries or deaths.
Thanedar, along with Democratic lawmakers Bennie Thompson and Lou Correa, made the demand in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday.
ICE plans to spend up to USD 20 million to purchase thousands of what the Department of Homeland Security describes as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices” for its officers and agents by March. The gloves are designed to deliver painful electric shocks and have been presented by the department as a tool for de-escalation.
The lawmakers, however, raised concerns about the potential misuse of the technology, particularly given what they described as ICE’s record of aggressive tactics.
“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,” Thanedar, Thompson and Correa said in their letter.
Thanedar is the ranking member of the Congressional subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Accountability. Thompson is the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, while Correa and Thanedar are ranking members of the congressional subcommittees on Border Security and Enforcement, and Oversight, Investigations and Accountability, respectively.
The lawmakers also criticised the Trump administration’s approach to hiring and training ICE personnel, alleging that some officers had received reduced instruction in the use of force.
They urged Mullin to intervene before the procurement proceeds, warning that improper use or abuse of electric shock gloves could cause further injury or death.
ICE has faced mounting criticism over its tactics during President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Critics have accused agents of using aggressive measures, including pepper spray against protesters and forcibly removing people from vehicles.
The lawmakers also cited reports that ICE agents have fatally shot at least six people during Trump’s second term, adding to calls for greater scrutiny and accountability over the agency’s use of force.
The dispute over the proposed gloves comes as the Trump administration continues its aggressive immigration enforcement drive, with ICE playing a central role in efforts to increase deportations across the United States.