ICE Electric Shock Gloves Spark Alarm as $20M Plan Lets Officers Deliver Silent Pain by a Button

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wants to arm officers with gloves that deliver painful electric shocks at the press of a hidden switch, part of a $20 million (£14.8 million) plan that critics warn could inflict pain no bystander sees.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a procurement notice on Monday outlining plans to buy thousands of the devices for officers and agents by March. The agency described them as conductive distraction and de-escalation tools. The Associated Press first reported the plan.

How the Shock Gloves Work

The product is called the G.L.O.V.E., short for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. It looks and works like a standard patrol glove until an officer flips a switch that activates its electrical mode.

The glove must touch a person's bare skin to deliver its jolt. The manufacturer says the shock usually forces compliance within seconds. Unlike a stun gun, it carries no barbs or projectiles, so it leaves little visible evidence behind.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, has studied how the device performs. He compared it to 'a bee sting', sharp and immediate.

Why Civil Rights Groups Are Worried

The silence is what alarms critics most. Because the gloves resemble ordinary equipment, a shock could be triggered without warning and without onlookers realising what happened.

That matters because bystander video has become the main public check on how officers use force. A hidden button press would not show up on a phone camera.

That gap in visibility sits at the heart of the objections. Force that cannot be filmed is far harder to review, challenge, or prove after the fact.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said the public should have no confidence the devices will be used appropriately. She questioned why civil immigration enforcement needs shock tools, and warned that people being shocked may get no notice.

She said the gloves are 'a recipe for harm to the public'.

A Small Kentucky Firm in Line

The devices come from Compliant Technologies, a small firm based in Lexington, Kentucky. Its gloves have been used in recent years by some jails and police departments.

Peters said the ICE order would probably be the largest from the company to date. He expects officers to use the gloves to pull uncooperative people from cars, homes, and detention vehicles.

Jeff Niklaus, the company's founder and chief executive, declined to comment when contacted by email. DHS said it was preparing a response and gave no immediate word.

Limits the Maker Says Officers Must Follow

Compliant Technologies sets clear boundaries. The company says the gloves must never serve as punishment, target people who are only verbally defiant, or touch children, pregnant women, or elderly or disabled people.

Officers must pass a training course and re-certify every two years.

Peters expects a small number of employees to misuse the technology, as happens with other policing tools, though he does not think it will cause serious injuries. He said strong policies and training would be essential.

The plan surfaces as ICE operations increasingly play out in public, where bystanders and even US citizens have been caught up. A device that leaves few marks and fires unseen changes the stakes for anyone standing nearby.