U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced plans to purchase thousands of electric shock-delivering gloves for its officers and agents, with spending potentially reaching $20 million by March. The devices, manufactured by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies LLC under the brand name Glove (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), function as standard patrol gloves until officers activate an electrical mode via a switch.
According to the manufacturer, the gloves deliver a pain stimulus when applied to skin, typically prompting compliance within three seconds without causing burns, marks, or scars. The company has marketed the devices as a “humane, low-optics, de-escalation solution.” John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, who is studying the device’s deployment, characterized the sensation as comparable to a bee sting and said it could be effective when officers encounter resistance from individuals.
Civil rights organizations raised concerns about the acquisition. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, expressed concern about deploying the gloves for civil immigration enforcement, stating that ICE officers have faced criticism for use-of-force incidents and suggesting the devices could be easily deployed with minimal visibility to oversight. She characterized the introduction of such gloves as “a recipe for harm to the public.”
The manufacturer has specified that the device should not be used as punishment or against individuals displaying only verbal defiance, and warns against use on children, pregnant women, elderly people, or individuals with disabilities. Peters noted that ICE’s planned purchase would likely represent the largest order from the manufacturer to date. The founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies declined to comment on the acquisition announcement.
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