La traducción al español está en camino; mientras tanto se muestra la versión en inglés.
Army study found ICE shock gloves cause pain, compliance and fear
Versión 2: Additional national outlets have joined the story, adding the device's brand name and manufacturer, the fact that the exercise took place in the final months of the Biden administration, and a Kentucky jail death and lawsuit over the gloves; the study's findings and the $16.7 million contract were already reported and are unchanged.
En breve
A previously unreleased Army study found that shock gloves now bought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement caused intense pain, immediate compliance and fear of further shocks during a 2024 military exercise. Records obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight show ICE leaders knew of the findings before signing a $16.7 million contract in August for 6,000 pairs of the gloves. ICE calls the gloves “distraction and de-escalation devices”; critics say they give the agency another weapon to intimidate and brutalize people.
Leer la noticia completa 2 min de lectura
A previously unreleased Army study found that electric shock gloves now purchased by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting immediately and feared further shocks, according to reporting by The Associated Press carried by several outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
Records obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight and shared with the AP show that ICE leaders were aware of the study's findings before signing a $16.7 million contract in August to buy 6,000 pairs of the gloves. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
The exercise took place in October 2024 at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with Army employees playing the role of combative prisoners. Several of the participants were large-statured men, and they stopped resisting seconds after officers applied shocks by touching the gloves to their skin, the study found. They were left with “fatigue, soreness and excessive apprehensiveness to being shocked again,” according to the study. “After experiencing the effects of the GLOVE, ... participants stated just seeing the GLOVE was enough to make them want to comply,” the authors wrote. The Guardian US reported that the exercise took place in the final months of the Biden administration, while the purchase came under the second Trump administration. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
ICE has described the gloves as “distraction and de-escalation devices” that will be safer than other non-lethal options for subduing targets of arrest and deportation and protesters who create civil disturbances, and argues the rapid compliance they produce will keep officers safer and prevent incidents from requiring potentially lethal force. CBS News quoted ICE procurement documents saying: “ICE does not currently have an empty hand use of force device to provide to the field amid unprecedented levels of threats and violence against ICE officers and agents to help ensure they can de-escalate tense situations before they turn violent.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 ]
Critics warn the gloves will give ICE another weapon to intimidate and brutalize people, at a time when the coverage says the agency is under fire over excessive force that has left a trail of deaths and injuries across the nation. They note the gloves are easy to discharge, do not leave a mark and have not been extensively used outside jails, and that the manufacturer warns they should not be used on high-risk populations such as children, pregnant women or disabled people. [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 9 ]
The Guardian US reported the gloves carry the brand name G.L.O.V.E., standing for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are made by Compliant Technologies, a company owned by military veterans and based in Lexington, Kentucky. The same outlet reported that experts have pointed to high-profile lawsuits over the gloves' use in local correctional facilities, including one case in which a 43-year-old man died after allegedly being shocked 40 times by officers using the gloves and a Taser in a Kentucky county jail, with his widow suing authorities. An AP photo caption shows Nelson County, Kentucky, jailer Justin Hall displaying an electric shock glove used at his facility. [ 1 , 8 ]
Por qué importa
The documents show a federal immigration enforcement agency bought a less-lethal device in volume after a government study documented strong pain and fear effects in the people on the receiving end. Critics quoted in the coverage say that could widen the force available to officers in arrests, detentions and protests, while ICE argues the devices reduce the need for potentially lethal force. The documents give no deployment timeline, leaving how and on whom the gloves will be used an open question.
Datos clave
- A previously unreleased Army study found shock gloves caused intense pain, immediate compliance and fear of further shocks among participants in a military exercise. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- ICE leaders were aware of the study's findings before signing a $16.7 million contract in August to buy 6,000 pairs of shock gloves, according to records obtained by American Oversight and shared with The Associated Press. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- The exercise took place at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in October 2024, with Army employees playing the role of combative prisoners. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Participants, several of them large-statured men, stopped resisting seconds after officers applied shocks by touching the gloves to their skin, and were left with “fatigue, soreness and excessive apprehensiveness to being shocked again,” the study found. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- ICE has described the gloves as “distraction and de-escalation devices” that are safer than other non-lethal options and that produce rapid compliance, keeping officers safer. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 ]
- Critics say the gloves are easy to discharge, do not leave a mark and have not been extensively used outside jails, and the manufacturer warns against using them on high-risk populations such as children, pregnant women or disabled people. [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 9 ]
- The Guardian US reports the gloves carry the brand name G.L.O.V.E., for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are made by Compliant Technologies, a company owned by military veterans and based in Lexington, Kentucky. [ 8 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- A previously unreleased Army study documented intense pain, immediate compliance and fear of further shocks from the shock gloves during a military exercise. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- ICE leaders knew of the study's findings before signing a $16.7 million contract in August for 6,000 pairs of shock gloves, according to records obtained by American Oversight and shared with The Associated Press. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- The exercise took place at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in October 2024. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- ICE has called the gloves “distraction and de-escalation devices” and argues rapid compliance will keep officers safer and avoid the need for potentially lethal force. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether ICE has begun using the shock gloves in the field, and when deployment would start. The documents describe the August purchase contract but do not say whether the gloves are already in use.
- The manufacturer's identity, its ownership and the full terms of its warning about high-risk populations. The Guardian US names Compliant Technologies of Lexington, Kentucky, and the brand name G.L.O.V.E., but the other documents refer to the manufacturer and its warning without naming it, so these details rest on a single outlet.
- The reported death of a 43-year-old man in a Kentucky county jail after allegedly being shocked 40 times with the gloves and a Taser, and his widow's lawsuit. This case is reported by The Guardian US only and no specific figures or named sources appear in the other documents.
- The basis for critics' assertion that ICE excessive force “has left a trail of deaths and injuries across the nation.” The claim appears in the coverage without specific cases, figures or a named source.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- The Associated Press publishes the report on the Army study and the ICE contract. [ 1 ]
- The Seattle Times carries the report. [ 2 ]
- The Boston Globe carries the report. [ 3 ]
- ABC News carries the report. [ 4 ]
- The Associated Press publishes a Spanish-language version of the report. [ 5 ]
- The Boston Globe publishes a follow-up summary noting ICE knew of the findings before the August contract. [ 6 ]
- CBS News carries the report and quotes ICE procurement documents. [ 7 ]
- The Guardian US publishes its version, naming the manufacturer and reporting a Kentucky jail death linked to the gloves. [ 8 ]
- CNN carries the report. [ 9 ]