U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend up to $20 million on specialized gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice published Monday.

The gloves, known as the G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, are designed to cause pain and disrupt a person’s ability to perform coordinated muscle movements through direct skin contact.

ICE plans to issue the devices to officers and agents with Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations. The solicitation for a no-bid contract could be published as early as Friday, with the agency aiming to purchase thousands of the devices by March.

The G.L.O.V.E. is produced by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies LLC. The company says the devices function as ordinary patrol gloves until an officer presses a switch to activate the electrical mode.

According to the manufacturer’s user guide, the gloves are intended to stop detainees or subjects from performing coordinated muscle movements by causing a pain stimulus. The device must be applied directly to a person’s skin.

The manufacturer says the gloves should not be used as punishment or against people who are merely verbally defiant or belligerent. It also advises against using them on children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with serious disabilities.

Officers using the devices must complete training and receive certification, with recertification required every two years, according to the manufacturer’s manual.

Supporters of the technology say the gloves can be useful in specific situations, including when officers are attempting to subdue violent suspects or people refusing to enter vehicles or detention facilities.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said the device could help officers gain compliance more quickly and potentially shorten confrontations.

Civil rights advocates have raised concerns about how ICE officers could use the gloves. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta of the American Civil Liberties Union questioned the need for the devices in civil immigration enforcement and warned that officers could use them without people knowing they were about to receive an electric shock.

ICE has faced scrutiny over its use of force following several deaths and violent encounters. The agency is also expanding its use of body cameras.

A DHS spokesperson said ICE officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use-of-force training.