Staff Reports
Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly moved forward this week with plans to outfit agents with a new piece of kit called the G.L.O.V.E. — a Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter made by Compliant Technologies — in a purchase notice that could spend between ten and twenty million dollars to arm thousands of officers by March. The department’s procurement notice and reporting make clear these aren’t novelties from Hollywood: the device delivers a painful, muscle-disrupting shock through direct skin contact and is being pitched as a de-escalation tool for combative individuals.
Americans who believe in law and order should understand why agents want options that stop a confrontation quickly without resorting to lethal force; experts who have studied the devices compare the sensation to a sharp sting that can end a violent struggle in seconds and reduce prolonged physical altercations. The manufacturer requires training and certification, with recertification every two years, which is exactly the kind of oversight responsible agencies should enforce if these tools are to be deployed safely.
Of course the predictable chorus of civil liberties groups screamed about potential abuse, arguing ICE shouldn’t have another way to inflict pain and warning the gloves could be used covertly against vulnerable people. Those concerns deserve scrutiny and firm policies — but outrage without solutions is infantile; we can both protect civil rights and give our front-line officers nonlethal means to handle real threats.
Let’s be blunt: the border crisis has forced ICE into situations where quick, effective tools matter. When agents face violent resistance during arrests or removals, a regulated, well-trained capability that incapacitates without bloodshed can save lives — both the public’s and officers’. The procurement notice even contemplates a no-bid contract process, which should set off oversight alarms in Washington while not disarming those who keep our communities safe.
If conservatives want to keep supporting robust enforcement, we must demand two things at once: give ICE the practical tools needed to do the job, and insist on ironclad policies, comprehensive training, routine recertification, and body cameras so every use is reviewed. That balanced approach protects Americans from violent lawlessness while stripping bad actors of any cover for misconduct — a pro-law-and-order position the left rarely seems willing to hold.
The real failure would be letting politics dictate readiness. Instead of reflexively vilifying every technology associated with law enforcement, conservatives should push for transparency, accountability, and results: secure the border, back the men and women doing the work, and make sure the tools they carry are used responsibly and only when necessary. Our priority must be American safety and the rule of law, not performative outrage that thwarts sensible solutions.
