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Democrats and Civil Rights Advocates Warn ICE Shock Gloves Could Enable Abuse/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ ICE plans to spend as much as $20 million on gloves that deliver painful electric shocks directly to a person’s skin. Democratic officials, legal experts and a former ICE leader warn the devices could be misused during immigration arrests and protests. A pending lawsuit alleges repeated shocks from the gloves contributed to a 43-year-old man’s death in a Kentucky jail.

Quick Look

• ICE plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million on electric shock gloves.
• The devices are called Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters, or G.L.O.V.E.s.
• Officers must press the gloves against exposed skin to administer a painful shock.
• Unlike Tasers, the gloves leave no burn or contact marks.
• New York Attorney General Letitia James warned officers could face consequences for misuse.
• A lawsuit alleges a Kentucky detainee was shocked 27 times with the gloves before dying.
• Two shocks reportedly lasted 45 and 99 seconds, exceeding the recommended 15-second maximum.
• The manufacturer warns against using them on children, pregnant women and elderly or severely disabled people.
• Critics fear officers could use the gloves before trying less forceful measures.
• ICE could pursue a no-bid contract lasting through March 31, 2027.

Deep Look

ICE shock-glove plan draws national criticism

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to give officers gloves capable of delivering painful electrical shocks drew condemnation Wednesday from Democratic officials and civil rights advocates.

Critics described the devices as unnecessary and cruel and warned that they could be misused against immigrants, protesters and U.S. citizens.

The size of the proposed purchase suggests that ICE could equip most or all of its officers and agents with the technology.

Gloves deliver shocks through direct skin contact

The product is known as the G.L.O.V.E., an abbreviation for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter.

During ordinary use, the devices function as standard patrol gloves. An officer can activate the electrical mode by pressing a button.

The officer must then apply the glove directly to a person’s skin. The device delivers voltage intended to cause pain and compel a resisting person to comply with commands.

Unlike Tasers, the gloves do not leave burns or visible contact marks.

That feature could make it more difficult to document their use after an encounter, raising concerns among critics about accountability and independent verification.

ICE could distribute devices widely

ICE has not disclosed how many gloves it intends to purchase.

The proposed expenditure of up to $20 million indicates that the agency may be planning a broad deployment across its workforce.

Local law enforcement agencies have used the gloves more often inside jails than during street operations.

ICE agentshowever, have increasingly engaged in forceful arrests in public places while implementing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Officers have used force to remove people from vehicles and have encountered demonstrations and resistance during enforcement operations.

Critics fear introducing a pain-compliance device into those encounters could increase the risk of unnecessary or disproportionate force.

Letitia James warns of legal consequences

New York Attorney General Letitia James condemned the proposed purchase during a Wednesday news conference.

She warned that ICE officers who misuse the gloves in New York could face criminal or civil consequences.

Although federal officers operate under federal authority, they can still face legal scrutiny when their conduct allegedly violates constitutional protections or other applicable laws.

James’ statement signaled that state officials could closely monitor the deployment of the devices and pursue cases arising from their use.

DHS defends its equipment review process

The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, released a statement that did not specifically identify the G.L.O.V.E. or explain why the department selected it.

DHS did not provide details about training, reporting requirements, medical safeguards or disciplinary procedures that would accompany use of the gloves.

It also did not address concerns that the devices could be used against vulnerable people commonly encountered during immigration operations.

Lawsuit links repeated shocks to jail death

A pending lawsuit alleges that shocks from the gloves contributed to the death of a 43-year-old man at a jail in Richmond, Kentucky, in 2024.

The man was reportedly shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 additional times with a Taser.

An internal Madison County Detention Center investigation found that two of the glove shocks lasted 45 seconds and 99 seconds.

Both significantly exceeded the manufacturer’s recommended maximum duration of 15 seconds.

The lawsuit challenges the manufacturer’s marketing of the device as nonlethal and safe for the heart.

Other lawsuits alleged injuries

An AP review identified two additional lawsuits alleging injuries involving the shock gloves.

One case involved a man with heart problems who said he was shocked during a trade show in Las Vegas.

Another involved a defendant who alleged that he was unnecessarily shocked in a courtroom and then laughed at.

Both lawsuits were dismissed.

Although the cases did not result in legal findings against the manufacturer or officers, they illustrate the circumstances in which critics fear the gloves can be improperly deployed.

Congressional Democrats oppose purchase

Several Democratic members of Congress argued that ICE does not need another weapon.

Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Maxwell Frost and Delia Ramirez were among the lawmakers who criticized the proposal on social media.

The lawmakers’ objections reflect broader Democratic opposition to the tactics ICE has used during Trump’s expanded immigration enforcement campaign.

Critics have accused the agency of conducting aggressive arrests, failing to provide adequate accountability and using unnecessary force against people who do not present an immediate threat.

Manufacturer warns against use on vulnerable people

The manufacturer’s instructions caution officers against using the device on several groups routinely encountered by ICE.

Those groups include elderly people, small children, pregnant women and people with severe disabilities.

The user manual also says the gloves should not be used in response to verbal defiance.

It specifically warns against using the product for punishment, torture or horseplay.

Opponents question whether those limitations can be reliably enforced during fast-moving immigration arrests, particularly when officers are facing protests, emotionally distressed families or people who do not understand English commands.

Former ICE leader fears misuse

Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg warned that the device could be too easily used against people who pose no danger.

His comments highlighted the distinction between physical resistance and an actual threat to officers or the public.

Pain-compliance devices may be used to force obedience even when a person is unarmed and does not pose an immediate safety risk.

That possibility is central to concerns about whether the gloves could become a routine enforcement tool instead of a carefully limited option.

Similar Taser function was phased out

The company that manufactures Tasers recently discontinued its drive-stun feature, which served a similar pain-compliance function.

Under drive-stun use, officers pressed a Taser directly against a person rather than firing its probes from a distance.

Some law enforcement officers misused that featurecontributing to criticism that it could be employed primarily to inflict pain rather than stop an immediate threat.

The shock gloves could recreate similar risks while being easier to access because officers would already be wearing them.

Law professor warns officers may skip lesser force

Michael Mannheimer, a Northern Kentucky University law professor who has studied police use of force and federal law enforcement operations, said the gloves create a risk of disproportionate force.

Law enforcement policies generally require officers to use force proportionate to the threat and resistance they encounter.

Critics fear that immediate access to an electrical pain device could encourage officers to bypass verbal persuasion, additional time, physical positioning or other less forceful approaches.

Lack of visible marks raises accountability questions

The manufacturer promotes the fact that the gloves do not leave burn or contact marks.

Although that may reduce certain physical injuries, civil rights advocates could view the lack of visible evidence as an accountability concern.

A person alleging excessive force may have difficulty proving where or how often the device was applied without body-camera footage, electronic usage records or witness testimony.

It was unclear whether the gloves automatically record their activation, shock duration or number of uses.

ICE has not explained what documentation officers would be required to complete after activating them.

No-bid solicitation could begin Friday

A notice in a DHS contracting database indicated that the agency could release a solicitation for a no-bid contract as early as Friday.

The contract would continue through March 31, 2027.

A no-bid arrangement would allow the department to purchase the gloves without a competitive procurement process involving multiple vendors.

The federal notice did not specify the final number of units, their distribution or the agency’s timetable for training officers.

Compliant Technologies LLC manufactures the devices. The company’s founder declined to comment.

The planned purchase could therefore advance despite unresolved questions about safety, oversight and the gloves’ role in ICE operations.

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