California moves to ban ‘shock gloves’ ICE plans to use

California Democrats on Monday passed a bill in an attempt to stop the Trump administration from equipping Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers with “shock gloves.”

Assembly Bill 2760, which is now on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign, would ban “wearable electroshock devices” from being used by law enforcement anywhere in California.

The bill would ban “wearable electroshock devices” from being used by law enforcement anywhere in California. Oklahoma City Free Press via AP
The technology is known as the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. AP Photo/Dylan Lovan

Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins (D) introduced the last-minute bill in response to news that the federal government would allocate $20 million for the devices.

The gloves “would be in the hands of our least trained and most lawless law enforcement,” she said, referring to ICE. Democrats have repeatedly portrayed immigration officers under President Trump as being overly aggressive.

The technology is known as the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. It is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based, veteran-owned company.

Federal agents walk down a street while conducting immigration enforcement operations. AP Photo/Ryan Murphy

The federal Department of Homeland Security has described the gloves as a “de-escalation device.”

The department attacked the California measure and said it would not comply, calling it “unconstitutional.”

“Sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from any safety equipment is despicable and a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger our officers,” Homeland Security said in a statement.

“To be crystal clear: we will not abide by unconstitutional bans. The Supremacy Clause makes it clear that California’s sanctuary politicians do not control federal law enforcement.”

Police in California have also opposed the legislation. Some, including the Sacramento County sheriff, are hoping to use the technology for their officers.

An aerial view of the California State Capitol building in Sacramento. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Sheriff Jim Cooper said his department had already spent $35,000 to purchase 10 gloves and were already training officers to use them. He described the device as an important de-escalation tool to use instead of lethal force.

“Is it uncomfortable? Yeah,” he told the New York Times. “Does it hurt? Yeah, it hurts.”

In a similar action last year, California put into law a bill to ban the use of face masks by ICE agents, but it was overruled by a federal judge.

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