US Immigration agency’s shock glove plan raises alarm

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency plans to buy electric shock gloves for officers in the field, ​alarming rights advocates who have condemned the action of ICE ‌during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

A note on the website of the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, says ICE plans to spend up to $20 million ​on CTG-5 Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, or GLOVE units.

The electric ​shock gloves aim to disrupt an individual's capacity to respond.

The ⁠DHS described the gloves as "a Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device which ​will be issued to Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations officers ​and agents."
The American Civil Liberties Union said giving immigration agents "a concealed means of delivering terrible pain is a recipe for more harm to the public and less ​accountability."

ICE officers are trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive "ongoing use ​of force training," the DHS said.

"Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately ‌reviewed ⁠to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards," a DHS spokesperson said.

Fatal shootings by ICE agents of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year and ​concerns by rights ​groups about ⁠conditions in ICE detention centers have led to nationwide protests against the agency's tactics.

More than 50 people have ​died in ICE custody nationwide since Trump took office ​in January ⁠last year, according to the immigration agency.
Trump says the aim of the immigration crackdown is to improve domestic security.

Rights groups say Trump's crackdown has ⁠violated ​free speech and due process rights and ​created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, who have raised concerns about racial profiling.

-Reuters