ICE Needs Accountability and Oversight, Not More Weapons

I'm writing to urge you to oppose ICE's plan to spend $10–20 million equipping officers with electric shock gloves, and to instead push for real oversight and accountability for the agency's existing use of force. ICE has repeatedly shown it cannot be trusted with the authority it already has. Adding a new weapon — regardless of whether it's labeled "less-lethal" — does nothing to fix that. It just gives an unaccountable agency another tool to escalate with. The record on these gloves alone should give any lawmaker pause: an internal investigation at the Madison County Detention Center found shocks lasting 45 and 99 seconds, far beyond the manufacturer's own 15-second limit, and concluded the practice "inflicted unnecessary pain" and "heightened the risk of serious health complications." Lawsuits have already been filed over injuries, including to a man with a heart condition. This is what happens when a device with a low barrier to use — a hidden button, no visible warning to the person being shocked — is handed to a workforce with a documented pattern of excessive force and little consequence for it. Bartenders face more regulatory scrutiny than ICE officers do. That is not hyperbole — it's a genuine accountability gap. Before this agency is trusted with new tools, it should be required to meet basic standards: mandatory use-of-force reporting, independent investigation of shock and injury incidents, enforceable training and recertification standards, and real consequences — not internal reviews that go nowhere — when officers exceed those standards. I'm asking you to: 1. Publicly oppose DHS's procurement of these devices for ICE pending independent oversight reforms. 2. Demand ICE release full data on use-of-force incidents, including any involving conductive devices, tasers, and firearms. 3. Support legislation requiring independent civilian oversight and mandatory body camera use for all ICE field operations. An agency that hasn't earned trust with the tools it has doesn't need more of them. It needs accountability. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.