The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency plans to buy electric shock gloves for officers in the field, alarming rights advocates who have condemned its actions during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

A note on the website of the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, says ICE plans to spend up to $US20 million ($NZ34 million) on CTG-5 Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, or GLOVE units.

The electric shock gloves aim to disrupt an individual's capacity to respond.

The DHS described the gloves as "a Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device which will be issued to Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations officers and agents."

The American Civil Liberties Union said giving immigration agents "a concealed means of delivering terrible pain is a recipe for more harm to the public and less accountability."

ICE officers are trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive "ongoing use of force training," the DHS said.

"Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilises is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards," a DHS spokesperson said.

Fatal shootings by ICE agents of two US citizens in Minnesota earlier this year and concerns by rights groups about conditions in ICE detention centers have led to nationwide protests against the agency's tactics.

More than 50 people have died in ICE custody nationwide since Trump ‌took office ⁠in January last year, according to the immigration agency.

Trump says the aim of the immigration crackdown is to improve domestic security.

Rights groups say his crackdown has violated free speech and due process rights and created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, who have raised concerns about racial profiling.