US ICE awards 16.7 million contract for electric shock gloves amid safety concerns

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed a $16.7 million no-bid contract on Thursday to purchase 6,000 pairs of electric shock gloves from a Kentucky-based firm, Compliant Technologies LLC, according to a federal database notice .
The devices, branded as G.L.O.V.E. (“Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter”), deliver electric shocks upon direct skin contact when activated by a button. ICE stated the gloves would be used in “high-tension environments,” including arrests, detainee transport, and civil disturbances, to subdue resistant individuals and reduce reliance on lethal force .
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, argued the gloves provide agents with a “hidden means to inflict terrible pain” without accountability . Manufacturer disclosures note the devices may amplify effects “that can lead to sudden death” .
A group of 16 Democratic senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, urged ICE Acting Director David Venturella in a letter on Thursday to abandon the purchase. They cited “blatant and tragic misuse of force” by ICE officers in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and Maine, questioning the agency’s ability to deploy the tools safely .
The contract follows recent lethal incidents involving ICE, including the January shootings of U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, and subsequent fatal encounters in Houston and Maine . The agency’s actions are part of President Donald Trump’s strict immigration enforcement policies .
ICE defended the procurement, stating the gloves would enhance officer and public safety with proper training and reduce the need for deadlier force . The contract covers the devices, support equipment, and services over six months .
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