US Senators Demand ICE Halt Plan for Electric Shock Gloves
Translated from Norwegian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
- Sixteen U.S. senators have demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) scrap its plan to equip agents with electric shock gloves.
- The senators question the necessity and responsible use of the gloves, citing concerns about potential misuse and harm to Americans.
- The Department of Homeland Security defended the equipment, calling the senators' efforts 'abhorrent' and an attempt to endanger officers.
A group of 16 U.S. senators has formally called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to halt its controversial plan to equip agents with gloves that can deliver electric shocks. The senators expressed significant concerns regarding the potential for misuse of such technology.
In a letter addressed to ICE's acting director, the senators, led by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, questioned the necessity of spending up to approximately $20 million on these gloves. They also raised doubts about the agency's capacity to use the new tool responsibly, highlighting past incidents of alleged misconduct.
The obvious and tragic abuse of power in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, Maine and other places around the country gives significant reason for skepticism about the agency's professional ability to adopt a new tool that can be used to harm Americans without cause.
The senators cited instances of "obvious and tragic abuse of power" in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis as grounds for skepticism. They argued that these incidents demonstrate a lack of professional ability within the agency to handle a tool that could be used to harm Americans without justification.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) strongly rejected the senators' criticism. A DHS statement described the senators' efforts as "abhorrent" and a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger federal officers. The department defended the proposed equipment as necessary security gear for its agents, particularly in light of sanctuary city policies that they claim hinder law enforcement.
That politicians who support sanctuary cities try to ban any security equipment for our federal police officers is abhorrent and a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger our officers.
Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.