Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving forward with plans to equip officers with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks, marking what experts say would be the largest purchase of the controversial devices to date.
The Technology Behind The Gloves
The devices, called Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter gloves, are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. The gloves function as normal patrol equipment until officers activate a switch, transforming them into compliance tools that deliver electrical pain stimulus when applied directly to skin. According to the manufacturer, the shock typically forces compliance within seconds. The company describes the sensation as sharp and immediate, comparable to a bee sting that distracts and subdues resistant subjects.
ICE is pursuing a no-bid contract for the devices, with the solicitation potentially published as early as this week. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Compliant Technologies provided comment when contacted about the planned purchase. The gloves have already been adopted by some jails and police departments in recent years, though usage has remained limited compared to traditional compliance tools.
Debate Over Enforcement Authority
John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said the gloves offer significant advantages for smaller, weaker, or older officers by enabling faster takedowns and shorter confrontations. He envisions ICE officers using them to remove uncooperative individuals from vehicles and homes, and during detention facility transfers. Peters acknowledged that some employees would likely misuse the devices, as happens with other policing technologies, but maintained they are unlikely to cause serious injuries if proper policies and training are implemented.
The American Civil Liberties Union sharply criticized the planned purchase. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing, questioned why electric shock devices would be necessary for civil immigration enforcement. She noted that ICE has demonstrated excessive force in recent operations, and the gloves would allow officers to deploy painful shocks with a button press that may be invisible to witnesses. The manufacturer warns against using the devices on children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, or as punishment for verbal defiance.
Training And Accountability Questions
Officers must complete a certification course and recertify every two years to use the gloves, according to Compliant Technologies. Supporters emphasize the devices are intended for specific situations involving violent suspects refusing transport or inmates threatening officers, rather than broad street patrol use. Critics remain skeptical that adequate safeguards will prevent abuse, particularly given concerns about accountability in immigration enforcement operations where encounters often occur without independent witnesses present to verify proper protocols were followed.