ICE is planning to buy shock-capable gloves for immigration officers and agents.
Why it matters: The procurement raises questions about use of force in civil immigration enforcement and how ICE would train and oversee the devices. It also puts a pain-compliance tool into a federal setting where civil-liberties and medical-risk concerns are likely to intensify.
- DHS forecast records show ICE planning to buy CTG-5 G.L.O.V.E. devices for HSI and ERO officers and agents.
- The estimated contract value is $10 million to $20 million, with solicitation release listed for Aug. 14, 2026.
- The procurement record lists a contract complete date of March 31, 2027, which is why reports said the gloves could be fielded by March.
- Compliant Technologies, based in Lexington, Kentucky, markets the gloves as a conductive distraction and de-escalation device.
The Department of Homeland Security's Acquisition Planning Forecast System lists a planned ICE procurement for CTG-5 G.L.O.V.E. devices, intended for Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations officers and agents. The forecast record puts the estimated value at $10 million to $20 million and lists Aug. 14, 2026, as the estimated solicitation release date. The record was published Aug. 10, 2026, and shows a contract complete date of March 31, 2027. DHS forecast record
The Guardian reported Aug. 11 that ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on the gloves, citing the DHS notice. AP also independently confirmed the procurement and identified the device and manufacturer. Guardian report AP report
Compliant Technologies LLC, based in Lexington, Kentucky, says its G.L.O.V.E. product line is a conductive distraction and de-escalation device. The company says it can be used in law enforcement, corrections, security, EMS and military settings, and that it is intended to move a subject from resistance to compliance in seconds. Compliant Technologies product page
Manufacturer material cited by The Guardian says the device should be applied directly to skin and warns against use as punishment or on certain vulnerable populations. Compliant Technologies' FAQ page also says there have been no documented injuries from direct use of its CD3 technology since introduction in December 2018, though that claim is the company's and was not independently verified in the reviewed materials. Compliant Technologies FAQ
Critics questioned the idea of using a pain-compliance tool in immigration enforcement. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the ACLU, said, "Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public." John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said, "It's immediate and sharp, and it will distract you. I call it like a bee sting."
By the numbers
- $10 million to $20 million - estimated value of the ICE glove procurement
- Aug. 14, 2026 - estimated solicitation release date
- March 31, 2027 - contract complete date listed in the forecast record
Yes, but: The DHS record is a procurement forecast, not proof that ICE has awarded the contract or bought the gloves yet.
What's next: DHS lists Aug. 14, 2026, as the estimated solicitation release date.