1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to express serious concern regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s plan to spend between $10 million and $20 million to equip ICE officers and agents with electric-shock gloves. These devices, known as G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), function as ordinary patrol gloves until activated. When placed against a person’s skin, they deliver an electrical shock specifically intended to cause pain and compel compliance. Unlike Tasers, these devices may leave no burn or contact marks, making inappropriate use significantly more difficult to identify or document after the fact. That feature alone demands extraordinary oversight. The manufacturer cautions against use on vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with certain disabilities or medical conditions. Yet ICE officers routinely encounter individuals whose medical histories, pregnancies, disabilities, or other vulnerabilities may not be immediately apparent. There are also documented allegations involving misuse of these devices in other law-enforcement and correctional settings, including a pending wrongful-death lawsuit involving a Kentucky jail. While an allegation is not proof of wrongdoing, it underscores why widespread federal deployment should not occur without independent evaluation and stringent safeguards. I urge Congress to demand answers before these devices are deployed\. At minimum, their use should require comprehensive training, clearly defined restrictions, mandatory body\-camera recording, documentation of every activation, medical evaluation following use, public reporting of deployment data, and independent investigation of alleged misuse\. Congress should also consider suspending or prohibiting this purchase until the devices’ medical risks, necessity, and potential for abuse have been independently evaluated. Immigration enforcement does not diminish the federal government’s obligation to respect constitutional rights and human dignity. A device specifically designed to inflict electrical pain—particularly one capable of doing so without leaving obvious physical evidence—should never be placed into widespread use without exceptional transparency and accountability\. I urge you to exercise your oversight authority and demand those safeguards before taxpayer dollars are used to deploy these devices\.