started · updated
ICE awards $16.7M contract for electric shock gloves
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded a $16.7 million no-bid contract to Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies LLC to purchase 6,000 G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) devices. These electric shock gloves are designed to deliver painful discharges upon contact with skin to subdue individuals who resist during arrests, detainee transfers, or civil disturbances.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security defend the purchase as a de-escalation tool that provides a lower-impact alternative to firearms or other lethal force. However, the decision has faced intense backlash from civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers. A group of 15 senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto, urged the agency to cancel the contract, citing concerns over accountability, training, and the potential for misuse.
In California, lawmakers are advancing Assembly Bill 2760 to prohibit state and local officers from using such devices. Critics also point to manufacturer warnings that the devices can amplify effects that may lead to sudden death, and cite previous incidents of excessive force by ICE as evidence of the risks involved in deploying new, high-pain tools.
Entities
Catherine Cortez Masto · Compliant Technologies LLC · David Venturella · Department of Homeland Security · Immigration and Customs Enforcement · Kentucky · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement · U.S. Senate
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 12 SOURCES] ICE classified the gloves as ‘conductive distraction and de-escalation devices’. estamosaqui.mx · wtxnews.com · www.elbuentono.com.mx · lajornadasanluis.com.mx · www.excelsior.com.mx · +7 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Senators demanded that ICE make training protocols and oversight mechanisms public. www.elbuentono.com.mx · www.wdio.com · pjmedia.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · entrelineas.com.mx
- [● 25 SOURCES] The contract includes the purchase of 6,000 G.L.O.V.E. devices. estamosaqui.mx · wtxnews.com · www.elbuentono.com.mx · lajornadasanluis.com.mx · www.excelsior.com.mx · +20 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Each glove costs $2,495. estamosaqui.mx · wtxnews.com · www.elbuentono.com.mx · lajornadasanluis.com.mx · www.excelsior.com.mx · +2 more
- [DISPUTED] ICE awarded a $16.7 million no-bid contract to Compliant Technologies LLC. estamosaqui.mx · wtxnews.com · www.elbuentono.com.mx · lajornadasanluis.com.mx · www.excelsior.com.mx · +20 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The gloves can amplify effects that may lead to sudden death. www.t-online.de · www.n-tv.de · www.vol.at · www.zeit.de
- [● 11 SOURCES] A group of Democratic senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto, urged ICE to cancel the purchase of the gloves. ca.news.yahoo.com · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.wdio.com · www.whec.com · www.kob.com · +6 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] The gloves are intended to be used during arrests, detainee transfers, and civil disturbances. estamosaqui.mx · wtxnews.com · www.elbuentono.com.mx · lajornadasanluis.com.mx · www.excelsior.com.mx · +10 more