Full Breakdown
ICE Moves Forward with $16.7 Million Electric Shock Glove Contract
9/3/2026, 2:05:10 AM
ICE’s New Low-Voltage Shock Gloves Contract
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awarded a sole-source contract to Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies for electric shock gloves—branded the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.). The $16.7 million contract covers roughly 6,000–6,650 pairs that deliver a low-voltage shock when the wearer’s skin is contacted.
Background and Context
The purchase follows an expansion of ICE’s enforcement tools under the Trump administration, including increased staffing and body-camera deployments. The shock-glove acquisition marks the first federal contract for Compliant Technologies, which previously supplied similar devices to local police departments.
Data and Statistics
- Contract value: $16.7 million.
- Units: 6,000 pairs per the August contract justification; 6,650 pairs cited by Mother Jones.
- Cost per pair: about $2,400.
- Manual warnings: the user guide advises against use on the elderly, small children, pregnant women, and “the severely handicapped,” noting possible increases in blood pressure, heart rate, adrenaline, and risk of sudden death.
- Documented incident: an Associated Press report links a 43-year-old man’s death at Madison County Detention Center to 27 shocks from the gloves and 13 shocks from a Taser.
Official Statements & Responses
ICE’s contract justification frames the gloves as a “low-impact tool” for quickly gaining control while preventing injuries to officers and subjects. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson emphasized that ICE officers are “highly trained in de-escalation techniques” and that any new equipment must comply with existing use-of-force policies.
Criticism & Opposition
Civil-rights analysts argue the gloves could expand ICE’s capacity for abuse. Christopher Schneider, a sociology professor at Brandon University, called the gloves “a perfect tool for abuse,” noting they leave no visible marks.
On-the-Ground Reports
Local law-enforcement agencies have already deployed the gloves. In Dallas, senior supervisors at Tarrant County Jail have used the devices on inmates who physically resist, with Sheriff Bill Waybourn describing the outcomes as “successfully” used a few times. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office purchased ten pairs for $35,000 and is training officers to employ the gloves.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact quantity of gloves contracted: ICE’s August justification cites 6,000 pairs, while Mother Jones reports 6,650 pairs. The contract documents do not specify delivery dates or which ICE divisions will receive them. Training protocols, oversight mechanisms, and data-recording requirements remain undisclosed, despite congressional letters requesting this information.
What’s Next
Sixteen Democratic senators sent a letter to Acting ICE Director David Venturella on August 27 asking for tracking and accountability measures. Members of the House Committee on Homeland Security followed with a similar request on August 31. California’s Assembly Bill 2760, passed on August 26, now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature and is expected to face legal challenges from the federal government. A DHS spokesperson reiterated that the agency will not comply with “unconstitutional bans” under the Supremacy Clause, a point clarified in a correction on September 2.
The combination of undisclosed deployment plans, divergent contract figures, and mounting legislative opposition underscores the unresolved debate over whether the G.L.O.V.E. will become a routine de-escalation tool or a new avenue for unchecked force.
