The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice on Aug. 10 stating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and agents could be equipped with electric shock gloves by March 31, 2027 [1][2].
The device, called the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.), is described by DHS as a “conductive distraction and de-escalation” device designed to help officers manage combative individuals [1][2].
ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of the gloves, according to the Associated Press, which first reported on the notice [3][4]. The notice, published on the federal procurement system, identifies the gloves as equipment for Homeland Security Investigations personnel [1].
The gloves have been used by some U.S. jails and police departments in recent years, according to reports [5] [12]. The planned acquisition comes as the agency continues to expand the range of enforcement tools available to its agents [6].
Device Details and Manufacturer Claims
The gloves function as normal gloves and deliver an electric shock when an officer activates an electrical mode with a switch, according to the manufacturer. The devices must be placed directly on a person’s skin to deliver the stimulus, which the manufacturer says helps an officer gain compliance within seconds [4] [12].
The gloves can deliver up to 380 volts of electricity, roughly three times the charge of a standard U.S. power outlet [6][7].
Compliant Technologies LLC, based in Lexington, Kentucky, manufactures the devices [5]. The company advertises the gloves as a “humane, low-optics, de-escalation solution” and says the discomfort usually brings compliance in less than three seconds without leaving burns, marks, or scars [12].
John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, described the sensation from the gloves as immediate and sharp, similar to a bee sting. Peters said the purchase would likely be the largest one made from the company to date.
Professional safety literature has long documented the hazards associated with electrical equipment, including the risk of severe burns from direct contact with high-heat sources [8]. Medical reference guides note that seizures and other physical reactions can result from a variety of causes, including poisoning, disease, organ failure, and epilepsy [9].
Research into the biological effects of electromagnetic fields has also been the subject of scientific study for decades [10].
Planned Use and Training
Peters said officers could use the gloves to remove uncooperative individuals from cars and houses and to move people in and out of detention facilities. Supporters of the devices said they are generally used in jail and transport situations rather than street patrols, including with violent suspects refusing to enter police cars and inmates threatening officers [12].
The manufacturer warns that the device should not be used as punishment for verbal defiance or belligerence, nor on children, pregnant women, elderly people, or people with disabilities. Officers must complete a training course and be recertified every two years, according to the company.
The G.L.O.V.E. is one of several technological tools that have entered the law enforcement market in recent years.
Research on police technology has documented how advanced tools originally developed for military applications are now commonly used to enhance urban public safety [11]. These tools include thermal imaging, facial and behavioral recognition systems, remote monitoring, and biometric systems deployed by municipal police forces [11].
Criticism and Context
Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, said ICE has shown it is too quick to use force and that the gloves could be used to deliver pain “with the slight push of a button.” She called the plan “a recipe for harm to the public [12].”
The announcement comes as ICE enforcement operations under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown have drawn protests, including after two men were shot and killed by ICE agents in Texas and Maine last July, according to news reports. Critics have also warned that the gloves could lead to more public harm and less accountability from the enforcement agency [7].
The BBC reported that the acquisition has intensified debate over the tools used by immigration enforcement personnel as tensions over enforcement operations continue to escalate [7].
ICE Officers Would Start Using the Gloves as Early as 2027
The notice marks the procurement phase, with ICE expected to decide on purchasing thousands of G.L.O.V.E. devices in the coming months. DHS officials said in the notice that the department is constantly assessing available technology for potential use by its officers [6]. If approved, the contract would deliver the devices by the end of March 2027 [1][2].
The outcome of the acquisition and any additional policy guidance from DHS has not been announced. If the purchase is completed, the gloves would represent one of the largest deployments of this technology within federal immigration enforcement.
The devices are already in use at some U.S. prisons and police departments, and their expansion to federal immigration agents would mark a new phase in the adoption of less-lethal technology [5].
References
- NTD. “ICE to Equip Officers With Gloves That Can Deliver Electric Shocks”. August 13, 2026.
- The Epoch Times. “ICE Plans to Spend up to $20 Million on Electric Shock Gloves for Agents”. August 12, 2026.
- Aldgra Fredly. “Shocked! ICE To Equip Officers With Gloves That Can Deliver Electric Zaps”. ZeroHedge. August 13, 2026.
- JustTheNews. “ICE agents may soon have gloves that can deliver electric shocks to combative individuals”. August 12, 2026.
- RT. “ICE to arm agents with shock gloves (VIDEO)”. August 13, 2026.
- BBC News. “US immigration officers to be equipped with gloves that deliver electric shocks”. August 12, 2026.
- BBC News. “Watch: Why are ICE agents getting controversial shock gloves?”. August 12, 2026.
- Michael McCann. “Artist beware”.
- Kim Dearth. “Your rottweilers life your complete guide to raising your pet from puppy to companion”.
- Martin Blank. “Biological effects of electromagnetic fields”. Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics.
- Samuel Nunn. “Police technology in cities: changes and challenges”. Journal of Urban Policy and Environment.
- The Telegraph. Chanel Zagon. “US Immigration agents to use electric shock gloves”. August 12, 2026.
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