Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to equip its officers with specialized gloves capable of delivering an electric shock to help subdue violent or resisting suspects.
According to a Department of Homeland Security notice reported by the Associated Press, ICE plans to spend up to $20 million purchasing thousands of the devices for deployment early next year.
Known as the G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) the technology is manufactured by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies and has already been used by some police departments and correctional facilities.
The equipment functions as an ordinary pair of patrol gloves until an officer activates its electrical capability.
Confirmed: @ICEgov officers could soon be equipped with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks to gain compliance from combative individuals.
The @AP is reporting that a DHS notice published yesterday lays out how ICE plans to spend up to $20 MILLION to purchase thousands…
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) August 11, 2026
The glove must make direct contact with a person’s skin to deliver a brief but painful electrical stimulus designed to gain compliance.
John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, compared the sensation to a bee sting.
“It’s immediate and sharp, and it will distract you,” Peters told the AP.
“If the officer is getting any type of resistance from the person, this is certainly an effective tool.”
The technology could prove particularly useful for ICE agents dealing with suspects who violently resist arrest, refuse to leave vehicles or homes, or become combative during transportation and detention.
“For smaller officers or weaker officers or older officers, I think it has a great advantage.”
Unlike weapons that incapacitate suspects from a distance, the gloves require officers to already be in physical contact with the individual.
The technology therefore would allow agents to quickly bring a physical struggle under control without resorting to more serious levels of force.
The manufacturer says the gloves should not be used as punishment or against someone merely displaying “verbal defiance or belligerence.”
Officers must also complete a training course before using the device and undergo recertification every two years.
The equipment has previously been used to subdue violent suspects refusing to enter police vehicles as well as inmates who were harming themselves or threatening officers.
Peters said the gloves are unlikely to cause injuries, while stressing the importance of appropriate training and departmental policies governing their use.
The planned purchase comes as ICE officers continue carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda across the country.
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