California bans law enforcement use of electric shock gloves

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a legislative package on September 29, 2026, banning law enforcement officers from using electric shock gloves. The ban, taking effect in 2027, responds to ICE's $16.7 million contract to buy 6,000 pairs of the devices. The Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security have vowed to defy the law, calling it an unconstitutional violation of the Supremacy Clause, while local law enforcement groups argue the ban removes a vital non-lethal tool.

California's ban on electric shock gloves

• ▪Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper opposed California's shock glove ban, stating that the devices conduct electricity at a lower voltage than a taser and that the ban makes law enforcement's job harder
• ▪California Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins introduced the state's shock glove legislation to pause the use of the devices while the state examines their potential risks
• ▪The California shock glove ban takes effect in 2027, expires on January 1, 2030, and requires the California Department of Justice to complete a safety study on the devices by January 1, 2029.
• ▪California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law on September 29, 2026, banning local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from using electric shock gloves.

Dispute over federal jurisdiction

• ▪University of California, Davis School of Law Professor Emeritus Kevin Johnson stated that courts are likely to rule that California cannot bar federal officers from wearing shock gloves under its new ban or face coverings under its mask ban
• ▪First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli criticized California's new ban on electric shock gloves on X, stating that California has no jurisdiction to regulate federal agents or limit their use of weapons
• ▪A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that the agency will not abide by California's unconstitutional bans on electric shock gloves and face coverings, citing the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution
• ▪White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated that Governor Gavin Newsom has no authority over federal law enforcement and that the Trump administration will not abide by California's unconstitutional ban on electric shock gloves

ICE shock glove contract

• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement awarded a $16.7 million contract in August 2026 to purchase 6,000 pairs of electric shock gloves to control resisting detainees and protesters.
• ▪A group of Democratic lawmakers urged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to abandon its plan to purchase electric shock gloves.

Compliant Technologies' guidelines

• ▪Compliant Technologies CEO Jeff Niklaus defended his company's electric shock gloves in a September 22, 2026 video, attributing California's shock glove ban to political bias and stating that legislators never contacted his firm
• ▪Compliant Technologies recommends a maximum limit of 15 seconds for shocks delivered by its electric gloves.

Kentucky shock glove lawsuits

• ▪A pending wrongful death lawsuit alleges that 43-year-old Jonathan Mansfield died in 2024 after Kentucky corrections officers shocked him 27 times with electric gloves and 13 times with a Taser.
• ▪Josh Elswick sued a Kentucky jail employee in 2023 for repeatedly shocking him with electric gloves while he was handcuffed and shackled.

Legislation limiting federal immigration enforcement

• ▪Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of over 20 bills on September 29, 2026, aimed at limiting federal immigration enforcement and strengthening oversight of private detention centers in California.
• ▪California's new immigration laws include a 25 percent tax on private detention centers, expected to raise $177 million for state immigration-related services, and a revised ban on officers wearing masks.
• ▪An Associated Press analysis found that 17 states with Democratic-controlled legislatures have passed more than 100 bills in 2026 aimed at limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Debatable claims

• ▪Electric shock gloves are a safe and humane tool for law enforcement
• ▪California's 25 percent tax on private immigration detention centers is justified
• ▪Banning electric shock gloves unnecessarily compromises law enforcement officer safety
• ▪The Supremacy Clause bars California from banning federal agents' use of shock gloves