Reps. Dean, Ramirez Introduce Bill to Ban ICE Use of “Shock Gloves”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Delia Ramirez (IL-03) introduced the No Shock Act to ban the use of “shock gloves” by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) agents. This month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced their plan to spend $17 million on 6,000 shock gloves — electric gloves designed to inflict painful shocks with just a touch of the hand — for ICE officers to enforce the Trump Administration’s policy of mass deportations. “For nearly two years, we have witnessed grotesquely un-American behavior from ICE agents — the tragic killing of innocent Americans, the wrongful arrests of lawful residents and peaceful protesters, and the inhumane conditions at ICE facilities across the country,” Rep. Dean said. “Now, DHS seeks to further arm ICE agents with electric shock gloves, enabling them to inflict even more pain with zero accountability. My bill will prohibit these devices from being used in any immigration enforcement.” "For years, DHS has spent billions of taxpayer dollars to amass paramilitary weapons while simultaneously attempting to shield itself and its agents from accountability. Using surveillance tech and tools of torture, DHS has already proven its capacity to perpetrate state-sanctioned abuse and arbitrary cruelty. Under no circumstances can DHS be trusted with electric shock gloves and the power to inflict ‘sudden’ death,” Rep. Ramirez said. “After opening a Congressional inquiry to demand that DHS immediately halt the acquisition and deployment of electric shock gloves, I’m joining Rep. Dean to prohibit these cruel devices from being used during immigration enforcement.  We cannot continue letting a dangerous agency access more tools to wage war on our communities. We have to take every weapon, every dollar, every authority away. We have to dismantle DHS." The Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.) devices are manufactured in Lexington, Kentucky by Compliant Technologies LLC. They are being purchased by DHS through a no-bid contract — a process typically reserved for emergencies. The No Shock Act would prohibit the use of these gloves for all DHS immigration enforcement, including ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as state and local officers enlisted to carry out federal immigration enforcement. Following an alarming visit to the Moshannon Detention Center in central Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Dean recently introduced the Oversight Access Act to expand unannounced congressional oversight at ICE facilities. Read the full text of the bill here . Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania. ###