The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks, according to a government procurement notification.
The proposed equipment, known as Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters (GLOVE), has been described by DHS as a “conductive distraction and de-escalation” device.
$20 million procurement plan
According to the procurement notice, the Trump administration plans to spend approximately $20 million on the devices.
The gloves are being developed by Compliant Technologies LLC, a Kentucky-based company. The company is expected to receive the contract without a competitive bidding process, while the devices are scheduled to be delivered by the end of March 2027.
Neither DHS nor Compliant Technologies has provided further details about the development or procurement process.
Reports indicate that similar GLOVE devices are already being used by some police departments and correctional facilities in the United States.
How do the electric gloves work?
Compliant Technologies says the gloves function like ordinary gloves until an officer activates the electrical mode using a button.
According to the company, the device must come into contact with a person’s skin before it can deliver an electric shock.
The company markets the technology as a tool intended to help officers gain compliance quickly without necessarily resorting to other forms of physical force.
Trump Administration Allows Anthropic to Redeploy Mythos 5 AI Model to Selected US Organisations
The Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths has also examined the technology. Its president, John Peters, who has reportedly studied the device for several months, described the sensation as immediate and sharp, comparing it to a “bee sting.”
The company claims the gloves can help officers obtain compliance within seconds.
ICE faces growing scrutiny
The planned purchase comes at a time when the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies have attracted significant criticism across the United States.
ICE officers have faced increased public scrutiny as immigration enforcement operations have expanded. There have also been reports of deadly encounters involving ICE agents, adding to concerns about the use of force during immigration operations.
The proposed electric gloves are therefore likely to attract further debate over how law enforcement agencies should use technology during arrests and confrontations.
While DHS describes the devices as de-escalation tools, their ability to deliver painful electric shocks has raised questions about whether they could increase the use of force rather than reduce it.
The planned procurement has yet to result in the devices being widely deployed, with delivery currently expected by March 2027.
