Chicago – August 12, 2026
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to purchase thousands of gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks to people officers are attempting to restrain, according to an announcement from the Department of Homeland Security.
The devices, known as G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC. ICE could spend as much as $20 million on the equipment, with deployment planned by March under a potential no-bid contract.
The gloves are designed to provide a brief electrical stimulus when activated by an officer and are intended by the manufacturer to help gain compliance from resistant individuals. The company says they should not be used as punishment or against vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with disabilities.
Civil-rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have raised concerns about potential misuse and oversight. ICE and DHS have not publicly detailed all operational safeguards for the proposed equipment.
