Border Czar Tom Homan Defends ICE Plan for Electric Shock Gloves

White House border czar Tom Homan has defended a plan by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to equip officers with gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks. Homan said the devices could provide officers with another option to gain compliance during confrontations without immediately resorting to deadly force. The remarks came as the Trump administration faces criticism over the proposed purchase of thousands of the devices for immigration enforcement operations.

Homan said the gloves were intended as another tool that officers could use when people refuse to comply, comparing them with other less-lethal options such as Tasers and pepper spray. ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on what it describes as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.” The technology is known as the G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and is manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC. Similar devices have been used by some police departments and correctional facilities in recent years.

The plan has drawn criticism from civil rights organisations, Democratic lawmakers and some use-of-force experts. Critics have raised concerns about how the devices could be used during immigration enforcement operations, particularly amid broader scrutiny of the use of force by ICE agents. At least six people have been shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents since last year, according to the Associated Press report, including motorists involved in incidents in Maine and Texas last month.

Also Read: ICE Plans $20 Million Purchase of Electric Shock Gloves For Officers

Homan said the electric shock gloves would not be immediately deployed because ICE still needs to establish training procedures and other policies governing their use. He argued that the devices could help officers resolve potentially violent situations without escalating directly to lethal force. The gloves are designed to deliver an electrical shock when they come into contact with a person’s skin, but unlike Tasers, they do not incapacitate the person or necessarily cause them to fall.

Correctional officials in Kentucky have defended the technology based on their experience with it. Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall said his facility in Bardstown has used the gloves for about four years to gain compliance from inmates when other de-escalation techniques fail. Hall said he had experienced the shock more than 10 times during training and described the pain as intense but temporary, adding that the gloves had been used sparingly and did not leave burn marks.

However, criminology professor Geoffrey Alpert of the University of South Carolina urged caution and said the devices should be more extensively studied before being widely deployed. He questioned whether ICE should make such a large purchase before establishing clear guidance and training standards for officers. Alpert warned that improper use could be foreseeable if officers were not adequately trained in de-escalation and appropriate use-of-force practices. The debate over the gloves comes as the Trump administration continues its immigration crackdown and ICE considers additional tools for managing confrontations in the field and detention facilities.

Also Read: ICE Plans $20 Million Purchase of Electric Shock Gloves For Officers