August 28, 2026 | 02:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. immigration enforcement agency ICE has awarded a $16.7 million contract to buy 6,000 pairs of gloves that can deliver electric shocks, DW reported.
Since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this month announced its plans to use the gloves, there has been strong criticism by human rights groups and the Democrat opposition.
ICE is already facing intense criticism for its aggressive raids and tactics.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration began, several people have been killed in encounters between ICE officers and immigrants and people protesting against the agency.
How do the gloves work?
The controversial devices look like normal patrol gloves. But officers can activate an electric mode with the press of a button.
If they do so, the gloves will deliver a painful electric shock to whoever the officers touch with the gloves.
They are already in use in some prisons and police departments in the United States.
The ICE notice said officers would use them in "high-tension environments," such as arrests, transporting detainees and responding to civil disturbances outside of detention facilities.
"It will be used when a subject is actively or passively resisting and an officer needs to gain control quickly to prevent injuries to both parties," the document said.
Skepticism over ICE's 'professional capability'
The notice about the purchase contract was published on Thursday just hours after a group of U.S. senators called for the plans to use the gloves to be abandoned.
In a letter to ICE's acting director, a group led by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said that the "blatant and tragic misuse of force in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, Maine, and other locations around the country raises significant skepticism about the agency's professional capability to safely deploy a new tool that could be used to harm Americans without cause."
When the DHS earlier this month announced its plans for ICE officers to use the gloves, it called the shock gloves "a Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device which will be issued to Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations officers and agents."
While President Donald Trump says his crackdown on illegal immigration will boost domestic security, there have been several fatal shootings during ICE raids and more than 50 people have died in ICE custody, according to Reuters news agency and U.S. media reports.
Read: Trump Signs Order to Rename Lake Ontario to Lake America
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Person Killed in ICE-involved Shooting in Maine
45 hari lalu
One person was killed in a shooting involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Maine, the state's top lawmaker said.
Mexico to Sue US Over Deaths of 17 Citizens in ICE Custody
49 hari lalu
Mexico will take legal action against the US over the deaths of 17 citizens in ICE custody or immigration operations.
US ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Man at Texas Traffic Stop
50 hari lalu
Authorities have said that the Mexican national was killed while evading arrest amid calls for an independent review of the evidence.
US Planning to Halt Immigration at 'Sanctuary City' Airports
27 Mei 2026
Trump's administration is targeting Democrat-led cities resisting its immigration crackdown as millions of tourists arrive for the World Cup in June.
US: Senate Ends Shutdown with ICE-Free DHS Funding Bill
27 Maret 2026
U.S. Senate approved funding for TSA and most of Homeland Security-but not ICE-after a partial shutdown left 50,000 TSA agents working without pay.
US: Trump Orders Payment to TSA Agents After Hundreds Quit
27 Maret 2026
The US Transportation Security Administration has warned it could close small airports if a partial shutdown continues.
Partial Government Shutdown Stirs Chaos in U.S. Airports
26 Maret 2026
More than 450 TSA officers have quit and thousands more are absent since the partial U.S. government shutdown on February 14
US: Trump Orders ICE Agents to Airports amid Budget Standoff
23 Maret 2026
Starting Monday, ICE agents will be deployed to US airports to ease congestion at security checkpoints.
US Homeland Security Shuts Down Over Budget Dispute
14 Februari 2026
The budget deadlock in the US Senate comes after highly criticized immigration enforcement operations across several US states.
ICE Chief Tells US House Agency Is 'Just Getting Started'
11 Februari 2026
ICE's Lyons said his agency was "fulfilling the mandate" of Trump's mass deportation agenda, saying that officers faced the risk of assault.
