Trump Administration Plans to Equip ICE Agents with Electric Shock Gloves
Evan Semones
The Trump administration plans to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves for ICE officers, according to a DHS notice. The move faces backlash from immigrant rights groups, who warn of increased violence under the administration's crackdown.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to spend tens of millions of dollars to equip immigration enforcement agents with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks.
According to a notice posted on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates it will invest between $10 million and $20 million for such gloves by the end of March 2027.
The device, named CT-G5 G.L.O.V.E., short for “Generate Low Output Voltage Emitter,” is currently used by some prisons and police departments.
Compliant Technologies, the manufacturer, says the gloves are used to “quickly distract with small, uncomfortable electrical pulses” upon contact with human skin. DHS has defined the intended use as “distraction and de-escalation.”
An instruction manual states the gloves can deliver a maximum voltage of 380 volts, helping to “restrain/distract the subject from coordinated muscle movement.”
The procurement plan has drawn opposition from advocacy groups, who fear the gloves will be used to harm protesters and immigrants under DHS custody.
DHS oversees multiple agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which leads the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.
Monday's notice said ICE has a requirement to purchase and distribute the gloves to officers within its Enforcement and Removal Operations unit and the Homeland Security Investigations agency.
ICE is facing increasing criticism over its tactics, including allegations of racial profiling and excessive use of force.
At least four people have been fatally shot during encounters with ICE officers since the beginning of this year, and dozens have died while in ICE custody.
On Wednesday, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) issued a statement condemning the glove purchase plan, calling it a pathway to more violence against vulnerable communities.
NILC also noted that in June, the Republican-controlled Congress approved tens of billions of dollars in spending for ICE under the Secure America Act.
“This is an agency that operates without oversight, with an $80 billion slush fund that allows them to invent and fund new ways to inflict pain on our communities,” said Kica Mantos, president of NILC. “Equipping under-trained officers with shock gloves to inflict pain on people around them is disgusting and barbaric.”
DHS did not immediately respond to the Associated Press, one of the first outlets to report the story.
Jeff Niklaus, founder and CEO of Compliant, said via email: “Unfortunately, we cannot talk about this topic.”
Compliant has previously described its device as “humane” and non-injurious. The company explains on its website: “The technology is safe because it does not penetrate the subject's body, and it allows other officers to hold a stimulated person without fear of receiving a reverse shock.”
However, Compliant advises against using the device on individuals at high risk, including the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and people with severe disabilities. Officers must also complete training to use the gloves and be recertified every two years.
The contract, listed as a non-competitive deal, could be announced as early as Friday.
