U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to equip some agents and officers with gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks, under a proposed procurement described as a de-escalation measure for encounters with resistant individuals.
The devices, known as G.L.O.V.E. — Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC in Kentucky. According to a Department of Homeland Security procurement notice, ICE could spend up to $20 million to acquire thousands of the devices, potentially through a no-bid contract, with deployment targeted by March.
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The manufacturer markets the gloves as a conductive distraction and de-escalation tool. They operate like conventional patrol gloves until an officer activates the electrical function through a switch. The shock is intended to create an immediate pain stimulus and gain compliance without the use of more forceful physical intervention.
The proposed purchase has nevertheless triggered concern among civil-rights advocates. Critics argue that allowing immigration-enforcement officers to administer pain through a device that can be activated discreetly could create opportunities for excessive force or abuse, particularly given existing scrutiny of ICE’s use-of-force practices.
The manufacturer says the devices should not be used as punishment or against vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, elderly people and individuals with disabilities. Officers are also expected to undergo training and periodic recertification.
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Supporters of the technology argue that it could provide officers with an alternative for managing combative individuals during arrests, transportation or detention without resorting to more potentially injurious methods.
The debate, however, is likely to centre on how the devices are regulated, when officers may deploy them and what safeguards will be imposed.
The proposed procurement comes as the Trump administration continues to expand immigration enforcement, placing renewed attention on the methods and equipment being used by federal immigration officers.
