ICE grants $16.7 million contract to buy thousands of electric shock gloves

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has awarded a $16.7 million no-bid contract to Compliant Technologies LLC for the purchase of 6,000 electric shock gloves, a new use-of-force tool. Dubbed the G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), the device functions as a conventional patrol glove until an officer activates its electrical mode, delivering a painful shock by direct contact with the detainee's skin.

ICE claims the gloves offer a lower-impact option during arrests, detainee transports, and disturbances at detention facilities, providing officers a tool to gain control quickly in situations where detainees are actively or passively resisting. The agency argues that the gloves help reduce reliance on physical force and serve as an alternative to firearms in dangerous encounters.

However, the purchase has faced criticism from congressional Democrats and civil rights advocates who question the device's use, safety, and constitutional implications. In their letter to ICE, the senators demanded transparency regarding the agency's rules, safeguards, and procedures for reviewing deployments. The DHS defended the purchase, accusing Democrats of attempting to deny federal law enforcement officers safety equipment and emphasized the need for highly trained personnel to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens.