US Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to equip its officers with electric-shock gloves, with Homeland Security expected to buy up to $20 million worth of the devices, according to reports.
Key facts
- ICE plans to equip its officers with electric-shock gloves.
- US Homeland Security is expected to buy up to $20 million in gloves.
- The gloves are made by Compliant Technologies.
- The company describes the gloves as a nonlethal tool to make individuals compliant during arrests.
- The plan comes amid criticism of the administration's immigration crackdown.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to outfit its officers with electric-shock gloves, according to reporting from NPR and Al Jazeera published on August 12, 2026.
The gloves are made by a company called Compliant Technologies. According to NPR, the company says the gloves are a nonlethal tool designed to make individuals compliant during arrests.
Al Jazeera reported that the US Department of Homeland Security is expected to buy up to $20 million worth of the gloves.
The reports note that the plan comes amid criticism of President Trump’s immigration crackdown, according to Al Jazeera.
The development was also featured in NPR’s Up First newsletter on August 13, which highlighted the ICE plan alongside other news of the day, including a Labor Department report showing inflation cooled slightly in July.
Why it matters
The purchase reflects an escalation in the tools used during immigration enforcement, a subject already drawing significant public criticism. How officers are equipped during arrests raises questions about the use of force and civil liberties for a general reader following immigration policy.
Frequently asked questions
What are the electric-shock gloves ICE plans to use?
They are gloves made by a company called Compliant Technologies, which describes them as a nonlethal tool intended to make individuals compliant during arrests, according to NPR.
How much is the government expected to spend on the gloves?
According to Al Jazeera, US Homeland Security is expected to buy up to $20 million worth of the gloves.
Why is this plan drawing attention?
Al Jazeera reported that the plan comes amid criticism of the president's immigration crackdown.