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New York’s Democratic leaders are threatening potential legal action against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers over a new piece of equipment ICE could soon add to its arsenal: gloves capable of delivering an electric shock.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday that recently enacted state protections could expose ICE officers to legal consequences if the devices are used in New York.
The warning comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moves toward acquiring thousands of devices described in federal procurement records as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.” ICE could spend up to $20 million on the equipment.
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The devices are known as G.L.O.V.E.s, short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters, and are designed to deliver an electrical charge through contact with a person.
“You cannot trample on someone’s constitutional rights and you cannot cause them undo harm. You will be held accountable,” Hochul said when asked about the electric shock gloves. “[The protections] should be in effect here.”
James said her office is reviewing the DHS proposal and examining whether use of the technology would violate New York law.
The proposal “appears to be in violation of a number of laws,” James said, including the State Administrative Procedure Act.
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James also indicated that her office would pursue legal action against DHS if a person in New York were injured by the devices.
“You can best be assured of that,” James said.
ICE defended its process for evaluating equipment in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying the agency considers officers’ safety and existing law enforcement standards when assessing new technology.
“ICE is constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country,” a DHS spokesperson wrote. “Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards.”
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They added: “Our officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training. The latest ICE use of force policy is available here.”
The gloves are manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a company based in Lexington, Kentucky. Demonstration videos released by the company show the devices being used on test subjects, who fall to the ground after physical contact with a person wearing the gloves.
Compliant Technologies founder and CEO Jeff Niklaus declined to discuss the potential federal purchase when contacted by The Associated Press.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to speak on this subject,” Niklaus wrote in an email to the Associated Press.
The clash over ICE equipment comes as Hochul and James are also seeking to curtail cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.
New York law enforcement agencies have until Aug. 24 to end civil immigration enforcement agreements with ICE or potentially face legal consequences.
James said a dozen law enforcement agencies in the state maintained such agreements as of July, including Nassau County.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul’s office and Compliant Technologies for comment.
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