Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving forward with plans to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves designed to help agents subdue resisting illegal aliens during arrest operations.
The contract listing, posted Monday on the Department of Homeland Security’s Acquisition Planning Forecast System, shows ICE has been authorized to purchase the CTG-5 Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter — known as G.L.O.V.E. — a “Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device.”
The equipment will be issued to both Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, with cost estimates ranging from $10 million to $20 million. The planned acquisition represents a significant investment in what ICE characterizes as less-lethal force options for its field agents, who increasingly encounter dangerous situations during immigration enforcement operations across the country.
The introduction of such devices marks a shift in how federal immigration enforcement agencies are equipping their officers to handle physical confrontations. As ICE has expanded its enforcement activities and targeted individuals with serious criminal backgrounds, agents have faced growing challenges in safely taking suspects into custody without resorting to more serious uses of force.
The G.L.O.V.E. functions as a regular patrol glove until officers activate an electric current — delivering up to 380 volts when it contacts a person’s skin.
According to Compliant Technologies, the manufacturer, the device must make contact with bare skin to be effective. This technical requirement means agents would need to make direct contact with exposed areas during a physical encounter, distinguishing it from distance-based tools like Tasers or pepper spray that can be deployed from several feet away.
The technology represents part of a broader category of conductive energy devices that have become increasingly common in law enforcement over the past two decades, though the glove-based delivery system is less prevalent than handheld stun guns or conducted electrical weapons.
ICE is set to spend up to $20 million on electric-shock gloves for agents to help subdue resisting targets during enforcement operations.
The devices (G.L.O.V.E. – Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) deliver a maximum of 380 volts, enough to inhibit coordinated muscle… pic.twitter.com/nbf1FPgmnc
— Cartel Watch (@CartelWatchNet) August 12, 2026
John G. Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, told the Associated Press the glove is an effective tool when officers face resistance. Peters’ organization has studied law enforcement use-of-force incidents and in-custody death cases for years, providing training and analysis to agencies nationwide on how to minimize fatalities during arrests.
“If the officer is getting any type of resistance from the person, this is certainly an effective tool,” Peters said.
Describing the sensation an illegal alien might experience when the glove is activated, Peters compared it to “a bee sting” — immediate, sharp, and distracting. The comparison suggests the device is designed to momentarily stun or distract a subject rather than incapacitate them completely, potentially allowing officers to gain compliance or control during close-quarters encounters without causing lasting injury.
The characterization of the device’s effects as comparable to a bee sting positions it on the lower end of the pain-compliance spectrum used by law enforcement, though critics of electroshock devices have historically raised concerns about their use on vulnerable populations or in situations where subjects may have underlying health conditions.
An ICE spokesperson told the Daily Caller the agency is “constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country.”
“Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards,” the spokesperson added.
ICE officers receive regular use-of-force training and are highly trained in de-escalation tactics, the agency said. This training framework is designed to ensure officers attempt verbal commands and other non-physical methods before escalating to tools like the electric gloves, following standard law enforcement protocols that emphasize a continuum of force based on the level of resistance encountered.
The spokesperson cited alarming trends in violence against ICE officers: assaults have increased 1,300 percent, vehicle attacks have surged 3,300 percent, and death threats have exploded 8,000 percent. These dramatic increases underscore what the agency describes as an increasingly hostile and dangerous environment for federal immigration enforcement personnel, providing context for why ICE believes additional protective and compliance tools are necessary for officer safety.
Nearly 70 percent of ICE arrests involve “dangerous illegal aliens,” according to the agency. This statistic reflects the agency’s enforcement priorities, which have increasingly focused on individuals with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges rather than immigration violations alone.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst,” the spokesperson said, pointing to the agency’s focus on arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens — including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists.
