ICE Plans $20 Million Purchase of Electric-Shock Gloves for Officers

The Department of Homeland Security published a procurement notice on Aug. 10 stating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend $10 million to $20 million on "conductive distraction and de-escalation devices" for its officers by March 2027. The devices, called G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), are made by Compliant Technologies LLC and deliver a shock of up to 380 volts when pressed against a person's skin and activated by a hidden switch. A no-bid solicitation could follow within days, the notice said.

Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, said the devices let officers deploy pain "with the slight push of a button that maybe nobody else can see," and questioned why civil immigration enforcement requires a tool historically used mainly in jails. DHS said the technology is reviewed against existing use-of-force policy.

No contract had been awarded as of this report, and DHS has not released specific training or accountability requirements governing when officers may activate the gloves.