U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend up to $20 million on electric-shock gloves designed to deliver a painful stimulus to people during enforcement encounters. The gloves, identified in a Department of Homeland Security notice, are described as being applied directly to someone’s skin and as capable of producing an effect that can be used to gain compliance.
The Guardian and The Independent both report that, according to the manufacturer, the shock is typically effective within seconds, with one source stating it can bring individuals into compliance in less than three seconds. Both outlets also describe the gloves as part of an ICE procurement that would supply thousands of units by March, and both point to the manufacturer, Compliant Technologies LLC, based in Lexington, Kentucky.
While both accounts focus on the same planned purchase and the stated performance claims, they differ slightly in wording about the cost (“up to” versus a reported “$20M”) and in detail provided about the compliance timeline. Neither outlet indicates that ICE has already deployed the devices as of the reporting date.
