ICE Plans $20 Million Purchase of Electric Shock Gloves

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend up to $20 million to equip thousands of officers and agents with electric shock gloves by March. According to a Department of Homeland Security notice published on August 11, 2026, the agency intends to acquire the devices, known as G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), through a potential no-bid contract.

Manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, the gloves deliver a pain stimulus described as a bee sting to the skin to gain compliance from combative individuals. Supporters and the manufacturer argue the tools facilitate faster takedowns and are particularly effective for smaller or older officers. While some police departments and jails already use the devices, the Department of Homeland Security has not provided detailed comments on the procurement plan.

Civil rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have expressed alarm over the purchase. Critics warn that the devices lack sufficient oversight and could lead to public harm, citing a history of force during previous immigration crackdowns that resulted in at least 10 deaths. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta of the ACLU argued that the ability to deploy electric shocks with a button press that may be invisible to others is a recipe for harm.