ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves

Aug 11, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security has announced plans for ICE to spend up to $20 million on GLOVE electric shock devices manufactured by Compliant Technologies. The wearable devices deliver up to 380 volts of electricity directly to a subject's skin. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have strongly condemned the procurement, warning that the easily concealed devices will lead to public harm. The acquisition comes amid a broader Trump administration immigration crackdown, including a daily quota of 2,000 arrests.

ICE electric shock glove procurement

▪The Department of Homeland Security stated that a no-bid purchase contract for the electric shock gloves could be published as early as August 14, 2026.
▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a public notice on August 10, 2026, announcing that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million on electric shock gloves.
▪The electric shock gloves, known as the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (GLOVE), are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, based in Lexington, Kentucky.

GLOVE device technical specifications

▪The GLOVE devices feature built-in microprocessors that maintain a digital record of each time the electric shock feature is activated.
▪The GLOVE devices function as normal patrol gloves until activated by a switch, delivering up to 380 volts of electricity and up to 30 pulses per second.
▪Compliant Technologies states that the GLOVE must come into direct contact with a subject's skin to deliver the shock, though it can function through wet clothing layers.

Device usage guidelines

▪Compliant Technologies guidelines warn against using the GLOVE on high-risk populations, including children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and people with severe disabilities.
▪The GLOVE manufacturer guidelines state the device should not be used as punishment or against individuals who are exhibiting only verbal defiance or belligerence.
▪To operate the GLOVE, users are required to complete an initial training course and undergo recertification every two years.

Civil rights concerns

▪CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem warned that deploying the GLOVE to ICE agents is dangerous because the agency lacks clear rules of engagement and is not known for de-escalation.
▪John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, stated that while the GLOVE is unlikely to cause injury, it is expected to be misused by a small number of employees.
▪Jenn Rolnick Borchetta of the American Civil Liberties Union warned that introducing the GLOVE to immigration enforcement is a recipe for public harm because the shocks can be delivered imperceptibly.

ICE accountability issues

▪The planned procurement of the GLOVE follows the eleventh fatal shooting by federal immigration enforcement during President Donald Trump's second term, including the deaths of Minnesota residents Alex Pretti and Renée Good.
▪Critics and civil rights advocates argue that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has demonstrated a pattern of excessive force, warrantless searches, and wrongful detentions with minimal accountability.

Trump immigration enforcement escalation

▪A senior Department of Homeland Security official stated that all U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would begin wearing the GLOVE devices by the end of September 2026.
▪The planned procurement of the GLOVE comes as the Trump administration pushes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leaders to meet a quota of 2,000 arrests per day.