I am writing to urge you in the strongest possible terms to oppose ICE's plan to purchase up to $20 million in electric shock gloves—devices that are, in essence, torture gloves designed to inflict pain on detainees and immigrants.
This purchase, documented by the DHS Acquisition Forecasting System (https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/74524/public-print/), represents a dangerous escalation in the militarization of immigration enforcement and a direct threat to human dignity and constitutional rights. These "GLOVE" devices deliver painful electric shocks that incapacitate people within seconds, leaving them vulnerable and traumatized. The fact that officers can activate them with a hidden button press, away from oversight or witnesses, creates a perfect mechanism for abuse.
We have seen this story before. The images from Abu Ghraib showed us where unchecked authority and torture devices lead—to systematic human rights violations that stain our nation's conscience for generations. We swore "never again." Yet here we are, preparing to equip ICE officers with implements of pain during an immigration crackdown already marked by excessive force and minimal accountability.
The manufacturer's own warnings acknowledge these devices should never be used on children, pregnant women, elderly people, or disabled individuals. Yet ICE operates in the shadows with little oversight. Who will enforce these restrictions? Who will hold officers accountable when they use these gloves on vulnerable people? The answer is no one—and ICE knows it.
In the movies, Emperor Palpatine's electric torture of the young Luke Skywalker was theatrically visible as lightning. These torture gloves operate in the dark, leaving no visible marks, no evidence, no accountability. They are designed for plausible deniability while inflicting maximum suffering. Even tasers can be audited for excessive use, but for these gloves, there is no accountability.
ICE has already demonstrated that it is too quick to use force, even deadly force. Giving officers electric shock devices will inevitably lead to their misuse. This is not a de-escalation tool—it is an instrument of torture masquerading as law enforcement equipment.
I urge you to publicly denounce this purchase, introduce legislation to block it, and demand accountability from DHS. We cannot tolerate torture by another name. Our nation's values—and your oath to the Constitution—demand nothing less than your fierce opposition to this proposal.
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