U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is set to spend up to $20 million on a new “G.L.O.V.E.” electric‑shock glove system, a procurement that would become the agency’s largest purchase from the device maker. The gloves deliver a painful pulse on direct skin contact, intended to force compliance during immigration enforcement actions.
The gloves, manufactured by Compliant Technologies in Kentucky, are activated by a button that lights up before delivering a short‑duration shock when pressed against a wrist or elbow. ICE units slated to receive them include Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations. Training requires certification and biennial recertification, and the company warns against use on children, pregnant women, the elderly or disabled. Lawsuits allege excessive shock durations and a fatality after 27 shocks.
Civil‑rights groups and New York’s attorney general have warned that the concealed, button‑activated pain device could expand ICE’s use‑of‑force profile and expose the agency to criminal and civil liability. Critics argue the gloves bypass visible force, making misconduct harder to detect and potentially inflaming public opposition to immigration enforcement.
Only one filing cites a $20 million (≈$28 million) contract value; the other two mention the procurement without quantifying cost, leaving the total spend uncertain.