ICE to receive $20 million in electric-shock gloves

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to spend up to $20 million to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with electric-shock gloves. Known as G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) gloves and manufactured by Compliant Technologies, the devices deliver a shock of up to 380 volts when applied to bare skin to enforce compliance.

DHS officials state the gloves are non-lethal tools intended for de-escalation, aiming to reduce the need for more severe force during arrests. However, the initiative has faced intense backlash from lawmakers and civil rights organizations.

The ACLU has expressed concern that the devices could lower the threshold for violence, noting ICE’s history of controversial enforcement actions. Critics also pointed to a 2024 incident in a Kentucky jail where a man died after being subjected to multiple shocks from similar gloves, with some shocks reportedly lasting significantly longer than the manufacturer’s recommended limits.