ICE to spend $20M on gloves designed to deliver painful electric shocks

ICE Solicits Up to $20 Million Contract for Conductive Gloves

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to acquire thousands of conductive gloves that deliver an electric stimulus to assist officers in gaining physical compliance from individuals who resist. The Department of Homeland Security notice published Monday states that ICE aims to complete the purchase by March through a no-bid contract with Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky, for devices known as G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter.

The gloves operate as standard patrol gloves until an officer activates an electrical mode via a switch. Contact with skin is required to deliver the stimulus. The company states the effect is intended to produce compliance within seconds. The solicitation for the contract could be issued as early as Friday.

DHS said it is preparing a response to inquiries about the procurement but provided no further details. Jeff Niklaus, founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies, declined to comment.

The devices have been used by selected police departments and jails in recent years. Compliant Technologies describes them as tools for specific situations such as transporting individuals who refuse to enter vehicles or managing inmates who are harming themselves or threatening staff. The manufacturer specifies that the gloves are not to be used for punishment, against verbal defiance alone, or on children, pregnant women, elderly persons, or individuals with certain disabilities.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, has examined field use of the devices. He described the stimulus as immediate and comparable to a bee sting, stating it can shorten physical confrontations and may offer advantages for officers of smaller stature or less physical strength. Peters said he anticipates the ICE order would be the largest single purchase to date and expected the devices to be applied during removals from vehicles or facilities. He noted that, like other law-enforcement tools, misuse by a small number of users remains possible, though he assessed the likelihood of injury as low. Peters emphasized the need for clear policies and training.

The manufacturer requires officers to complete a certification course with recertification every two years. Available records indicate more than 3,000 documented applications by agencies already using the gloves, with no reported adverse events in public coverage. No peer-reviewed safety studies on the devices have been identified in public sources.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta of the American Civil Liberties Union stated that ICE officers already face criticism over use-of-force incidents and questioned the necessity of the devices for civil immigration enforcement. She expressed concern that the gloves could be activated without others observing the action and that the public lacks assurance of appropriate use.

The notice does not specify deployment locations or operational guidelines beyond the manufacturer’s stated restrictions. Peters said the devices have primarily been employed in controlled jail and transport settings rather than general street patrol.