Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar Calls on Trump Administration to Halt ICE Shock-Glove Plan
Washington — Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar and two senior House Democrats are urging the Trump administration to block a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement purchase of electric-shock gloves that could cost as much as $20 million.
Thanedar, the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Accountability, joined House Homeland Security Committee ranking member Bennie Thompson and border security subcommittee ranking member Lou Correa in raising concerns about the planned procurement.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the lawmakers asked the department to intervene before ICE moves forward with the purchase.
According to Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee, ICE announced on Aug. 10 that it planned to spend up to $20 million on gloves capable of delivering electric shocks.
The lawmakers cited a warning from the device’s manufacturer that use of the gloves “may result in injury or death” and questioned whether ICE personnel would receive enough training to use them safely.
The committee release did not identify the manufacturer, specify how many gloves ICE intended to purchase or say when the acquisition would be completed.
Thanedar and his colleagues argued that giving immigration officers another potentially lethal device could create significant risks, particularly amid their concerns about ICE’s use-of-force record and training standards.
“Given ICE’s horrific record of violence against the public, the agency must not be allowed to equip its officers and agents with a device that demands both significant training for and restraint by its users,” the lawmakers wrote.
They also alleged that the administration had lowered training standards for newly recruited ICE officers, including instruction related to the use of force.
“Under Trump, ICE has hired unqualified officers and agents and rushed them through training programs with reduced use of force instruction,” they wrote.
The lawmakers warned that the gloves could be misused and potentially cause serious injury or death.
Their statement did not include responses from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE or the device manufacturer. It also did not detail ICE’s rationale for seeking the technology or any safeguards that might accompany its use.
Electric-shock devices are generally designed to temporarily incapacitate a person, but the potential for injury can vary depending on factors including the strength of the electrical current, duration of contact, method of use and the medical condition of the person subjected to it.
The proposed purchase is likely to draw further congressional scrutiny as the Trump administration expands immigration enforcement and recruitment.
Thanedar and the other lawmakers said the plan raises broader questions about procurement oversight, testing standards and whether officers would receive specialized instruction before being authorized to use the devices. (Source: IANS)
