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ICE signs no-bid deal for 6,000 electric shock gloves
The contract, worth US$16.7 million, calls for delivery of 6,000 glove pairs plus support services over the next six months.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has awarded a US$16.7 million, no-bid contract to buy 6,000 pairs of electric shock gloves, according to a notice published in a federal database, in a deal that includes support equipment and services over the next six months.
The Associated Press reports that ICE plans to use the devices to control detainees and protesters who resist, while civil rights advocates and Democratic members of Congress have objected, arguing ICE officers cannot be trusted to use the tool appropriately.
Democratic senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, urged ICE to cancel the purchase in a letter to the acting director, pointing to past incidents and saying the agency faces criticism for its use of force with limited oversight.
ICE published the notice hours after the senators sent their letter, and the letter cited alleged misuse of force across multiple US locations as grounds for questioning the agency’s ability to deploy a new tool safely.