U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has awarded a $16.7 million no-bid contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks, according to federal procurement records published Thursday. The agency states that officers will use the devices—known as the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, or G.L.O.V.E.—to control detainees and protesters who resist, providing a lower-impact compliance tool amid rising threats and violence in the field.
Federal Contract Details and Manufacturer Specifications
According to a federal notice published Thursday, ICE signed the agreement on Wednesday with Compliant Technologies LLC, a Kentucky-based manufacturing firm. The six-month deal covers 6,000 devices alongside support equipment and services, with individual gloves priced at $2,495 apiece. Described in procurement paperwork as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices,” the equipment functions as a standard patrol glove until an officer presses a button to activate its electrical mode. Agency documents specify that the gloves require direct skin contact to produce a pain-inducing shock designed to force compliance from individuals who are actively or passively resisting.
Operational Use and Stated Safety Rationale
ICE procurement documents state that personnel will deploy the gloves in high-tension environments, such as during arrests, the transport of combative detainees, and responses to civil disturbances outside detention facilities. According to the agency, the devices help maintain control, prevent aggression or escape attempts, allow officers to handcuff subjects who hide their hands, and assist with crowd control. The agency argues that the technology provides an empty-hand force option that helps de-escalate situations and reduces reliance on physical force or more severe weapons, including firearms. Procurement filings indicate the gloves will be used under approved policies, training requirements, and accountability standards, though detailed safeguards were not included in the published records. Instructions from Compliant Technologies advise users to give subjects a reasonable opportunity to comply before applying force, suggest limiting activations to 15 seconds unless danger escalates, and prohibit use on pregnant women, the elderly, small children, or “the severely handicapped.”
Congressional Pushback and Civil Rights Concerns
The purchase has drawn swift opposition from civil rights advocates and congressional Democrats who question the agency’s oversight and readiness. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada led 15 Democratic colleagues in a letter urging ICE’s acting director to cancel the acquisition. The lawmakers pointed to a history of force misuse in locations including Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and Maine, arguing that the agency lacks the professional capability to safely deploy a shock device during civil immigration arrests without clear limits, adequate training, and comprehensive oversight.
Department of Homeland Security Response
The Department of Homeland Security issued a defiant defense of the procurement in response to the criticism from lawmakers. A DHS spokesperson characterized the pushback from politicians as a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger federal law enforcement by denying officers necessary safety equipment.
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