ICE purchases $16M in electric gloves despite Army study findings

An Army study conducted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2024 found that electric gloves caused significant pain, fatigue, soreness, and fear in participants. The study noted that even the sight of the gloves was enough to induce compliance in subjects, who were primarily large, muscular men.

Despite these findings, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spent over $16 million to purchase 6,000 of these gloves for agents in August. ICE has defended the equipment as “distraction and de-escalation devices” that serve as safer alternatives to other nonlethal options. The use of these gloves has already drawn controversy, including reports of their use on students in an Omaha school district.