The US immigration agency plans to purchase electric shock gloves for its officers, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights advocates and immigrant support organizations. According to a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security on August 10, 2026, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to spend between $10 million and $20 million to acquire the devices, which are designed to deliver a painful electric shock through direct contact with a person’s skin. The announcement has reignited a broader debate over the tactics used by immigration enforcement officers as arrest quotas climb and scrutiny of the agency intensifies.
What Are the Electric Shock Gloves
The devices at the center of the plan are known as the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. They are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, a veteran-owned company based in Lexington, Kentucky. From the outside, the gloves look like ordinary patrol gear. A small switch built into the wrist allows an officer to activate an electrical current that is released the moment the glove makes contact with someone’s bare skin.
The manufacturer markets the product as a “wearable de-escalation device” capable of producing a maximum voltage of up to 380 volts. Unlike a taser, the glove does not fire prongs that pierce the skin. Instead, the shock is delivered through direct touch, producing what the company describes as a sharp, sudden jolt meant to distract a person and prompt immediate compliance. John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, who has studied how the device has been deployed, compared the sensation to “a bee sting” and said it can be an effective tool when an officer meets resistance during an arrest.
Videos circulated by Compliant Technologies show law enforcement officers volunteering to be shocked during demonstrations. In several clips, officers grimace, yell out, or drop to the ground briefly after contact, illustrating the intensity of the jolt even though the devices are billed as non-lethal.
Career and Background of the Contract
The G.L.O.V.E. is not a brand-new invention. It has already been used in recent years by a number of county jails and local police departments, including a documented demonstration at the Oklahoma County Detention Center. According to Compliant Technologies’ own product materials, the device is intended as a lower-force alternative for close physical encounters, though the company’s user manual reportedly warns that the technology is not risk-free and that improper use could result in injury or death.
The DHS procurement notice indicates the agency plans to award a firm, fixed-price contract without open competition, with a solicitation for bids expected to be released as early as August 14, 2026. Officials have set a completion date of March 31, 2027, for delivery of the devices. The notice does not specify exactly how many gloves ICE intends to buy, but the Associated Press has reported that the agency is seeking thousands of units. Industry observers, including Peters, believe this would represent the largest single purchase Compliant Technologies has made to date.
Important details remain undisclosed. The federal notice does not lay out what restrictions would govern how officers use the gloves, whether supervisors would review activation records after each use, or whether individuals subjected to a shock would be entitled to a medical evaluation afterward. DHS has not yet clarified the exact per-unit cost of the devices or when officers might begin carrying them in the field.
Public Interest and Criticism From Advocacy Groups
The disclosure has generated significant public interest, arriving at a moment when ICE is already facing intense scrutiny over the tactics used during immigration enforcement operations. The Trump administration has pushed the agency to make roughly 2,000 arrests a day, a target that critics argue has contributed to more aggressive tactics in the field.
Civil rights organizations have been quick to voice concern. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, told reporters that the public should have no confidence ICE officers will use the devices appropriately and questioned why such tools would even be necessary in the context of civil immigration enforcement, which is not a criminal proceeding. Other advocates have gone further, with one immigrant rights representative describing the plan as “disgusting and barbaric” and pointing to ICE’s expansive budget as evidence that the agency is able to fund new enforcement tools with little oversight.
A recurring theme among critics is the discreet nature of the device. Because the shock is triggered by a small, largely invisible switch, advocates worry that officers could deploy it without bystanders, witnesses, or even the person being shocked immediately realizing what happened. One advocate summarized the concern by noting that ICE has already faced criticism over its use of force in the past year, and that equipping officers with a nearly silent way to inflict pain raises the stakes considerably.
Not every expert views the technology in purely negative terms. Some use-of-force specialists argue that the glove occupies a middle rung on the so-called use-of-force ladder, sitting above verbal commands but below tools like tasers or firearms. From this perspective, having an option that can interrupt a dangerous or combative situation without causing lasting injury could, in theory, reduce reliance on more severe measures. However, these same experts emphasize that the value of any new tool depends entirely on the policies governing its use and the accountability structures in place to prevent misuse. Without clear guardrails, they caution, virtually any piece of equipment is vulnerable to being used inappropriately.
Latest Updates
As of this week, DHS has not issued a full public response to detailed questions about the procurement. A department spokesperson indicated that a formal reply to media inquiries was being prepared but had not been released at the time the notice became public. Jeff Niklaus, the founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies, has also declined to comment on the specifics of the planned ICE purchase, stating only that the company was unable to speak on the subject.
The Associated Press was the first outlet to report on the plan, and its reporting has since been corroborated by multiple national news organizations, all of which point to the same DHS procurement notice as the source of the information. There is no official confirmation yet on the exact number of gloves ICE will purchase, the final per-unit price, or the specific training and oversight protocols officers will be required to follow before using the devices in the field. Until the solicitation is formally published and a contract is awarded, many operational details are likely to remain unsettled.
Given the pace of scrutiny already surrounding the announcement, further developments are expected in the coming weeks, particularly once the bidding process opens and lawmakers or oversight bodies have an opportunity to weigh in.
Final Thoughts
The plan by the US immigration agency to purchase electric shock gloves marks a notable expansion of the tools available to ICE officers and reflects the broader pressure the agency faces to carry out large numbers of arrests. Supporters frame the gloves as a less lethal option for de-escalating tense encounters, while civil rights advocates see the purchase as another example of an agency operating with limited transparency and insufficient oversight. With key questions still unanswered, including how the devices will be regulated and monitored once deployed, the coming months are likely to bring closer examination from lawmakers, civil liberties organizations, and the public alike.
Key facts at a glance:
- ICE plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million on the devices.
- The gloves are known as the G.L.O.V.E., made by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky.
- The devices can deliver a shock of up to 380 volts through direct skin contact.
- Delivery is expected by March 31, 2027, under a no-bid contract.
- Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have raised concerns about oversight and potential misuse.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story, and share your thoughts in the comments below.