Immigration agents in the US are being given electric shock gloves

Federal immigration agents in the United States may be equipped with electric shock gloves, Al Jazeera reported.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to allocate between $10 million and $20 million to purchase such gloves by the end of March 2027. The device, called the CT-G5 G.L.O.V.E., stands for "Generate Low Output Voltage Emitter." It is currently being used in some prisons and police departments.

Manufactured by Compliant Technologies, the gloves generate mild, uncomfortable electrical pulses when they touch the human body. The Department of Homeland Security said they will be used to distract attention and defuse the situation.

The gloves can deliver a maximum voltage of 380 volts, preventing the subject from resisting. The pending purchase has sparked outrage from law enforcement and activists. They are concerned that the gloves could be used in a brutal manner against protesters and immigrants in the department’s detention center.

Compliant, however, recommends that the device not be used on high-risk individuals — the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and people with severe disabilities. Employees must also complete a special training course to use the gloves and be recertified every two years.