Border czar defends ICE plan to equip officers with shock gloves

White House border czar Tom Homan defended a plan by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to supply officers with gloves that deliver electric shocks, saying the devices give agents a way to gain compliance without resorting to deadly force. Homan made the comments Thursday in a television interview, his administration's first public defense of the plan.

ICE intends to spend up to $20 million on the devices, marketed as "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices," for use by officers and agents. Homan said the gloves would function similarly to Tasers or pepper spray as a less-lethal option in potentially violent encounters, both on the streets and inside detention facilities. He said it would "be awhile" before the gloves are deployed because the agency is still finalizing training protocols and policy.

The plan has drawn criticism from civil rights groups, congressional Democrats and some use-of-force experts, who argue ICE agents have moved too quickly to use force during the administration's immigration enforcement push. At least six people have been fatally shot by immigration enforcement agents since last year, including motorists in Maine and Texas last month.

A criminology professor who studies police use-of-force tactics said the devices warrant broader study before wide deployment, cautioning that officers who lack training in de-escalation or public interaction could misuse them even if the technology itself functions as intended.

Read the full story at The Wyoming Truth.