ICE plans to equip agents with electric‑shock gloves


The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department is preparing to buy up to 20 million dollars worth of Generatted Low Output Voltage Emitter gloves, devices that can deliver up to 380 volts of electricity to detainees during enforcement operations.


The gloves would be used by ICE agents in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) to help “the subjects understand that pain will be used” and encourage compliance. Each glove can deliver up to 30 pulses per second and includes a microprocessor that records every activation.



Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a terminal
ICE agents patrol Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026.


DHS officials said the purchase would be “a no‑bid contract” potentially starting as early as Friday, and stated that the gloves are part of ICE’s ongoing assessment of officer equipment needs.


Compliant Technologies, the manufacturer, cautions users against applying the gloves to “the elderly, small children, pregnant women and the severely handicapped” and recommends an additional officer to restrain the subject during use.



A pair of grey gloves with a button near the thumb
The GLOVE features a button to activate the shock function.


Civil‑rights advocates, notably the American Civil Liberties Union, express alarm over the deployment of these devices, citing concerns that ICE agents may use them to override legal protections and potentially cause serious harm.


The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE following fatal shootings and broader calls for greater accountability in immigration enforcement.


With reporting by Max Matza.