ICE wants to give agents electrified gloves that shock people into compliance
A $20 million procurement notice reveals plans to arm officers with 380-volt shock gloves branded as a 'humane' de-escalation tool.
Written by OutOfToken AI
August 12, 2026 · 4 min read · Synthesized from reporting by The Verge · How this works
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to spend up to $20 million on gloves that deliver electric shocks strong enough to force compliance. The plan, detailed in a Department of Homeland Security notice published Monday, calls for delivery of the devices by March 2027.
What the notice actually says
The device in question is the CTG 5 GLOVE, referred to by its manufacturer, Compliant Technologies, as a CD3, or Conductive Distraction and De-escalation, device. The company markets it as a low-optics, humane alternative to other use-of-force tools. The DHS notice doesn't specify exactly how many units ICE intends to purchase, only that the contract's ceiling sits at $20 million.
How the shock works
According to reporting on the device, the gloves can deliver up to 380 volts through direct skin contact, meaning they don't work through clothing or hair. The manufacturer claims compliance is typically achieved within seconds and that the shock leaves no lasting marks. Guidance also states no more than two gloves should be used on a person at once, generally for no longer than about 15 seconds, unless the situation is judged to require more.
"Compliant Technologies describes its own product as "a great, humane, low-optics, de-esc[alation]" tool — even as it acknowledges the device inflicts deliberate pain to force submission."
Rules on paper, questions in practice
The manufacturer's guidelines say the gloves shouldn't be used on vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, or people with disabilities, and shouldn't be deployed as punishment or in response to mere verbal defiance. Similar de-escalation devices are reportedly already used in some jails and police departments. But guidelines are only as good as the training behind them, and ICE has faced repeated scrutiny over how its agents apply force in the field.
A pattern of escalating force
This procurement lands amid a broader surge in ICE enforcement activity, driven by pressure to sharply increase daily arrest numbers. The agency has already drawn criticism over recent incidents, including fatal shootings of immigrants during attempted vehicle stops in Maine and Texas, in which agents were not wearing body cameras. DHS has said it plans to expand body-camera deployment, but the shock gloves add a new, more physically invasive tool to an already contentious enforcement toolkit.
Whether the CD3 gloves actually reduce violent confrontations or simply give agents a new mechanism for inflicting pain under the banner of de-escalation remains an open question. Much will hinge on training standards, oversight, and whether the manufacturer's stated limits are enforced in the field rather than treated as suggestions. With delivery targeted for March 2027, the debate over these devices is only beginning.
Editorial Note
The research corroborates all major factual claims in the article: the $20 million budget, device specifications (380V, direct skin contact requirement), manufacturer identity and name, compliance timeline, safety guidelines for vulnerable populations, and delivery date. Sources consistently report these details from the DHS notice and manufacturer specifications. The article's contextual claims about ICE's recent enforcement surge and scrutiny are supported by Source 5's reference to White House pressure for 2,000 daily arrests and fatal shootings.
Claim Tracker
AI-assessed
Confirmed by Sources 1, 3, 4, and 5. DHS notice published detailing this contract ceiling.
Source 1 and Source 4 confirm the device name and manufacturer identity.
Source 1 states '380 volts through direct skin contact' and Source 4 confirms 'The device must make direct skin contact.'
Source 4 directly states: 'The company says the device typically achieves compliance within seconds and leaves no lasting marks.'
Source 4 confirms: 'no more than two gloves should be applied at one time, and generally for no longer than 15 seconds unless circumstances require additional force.'
Source 2 references these vulnerable groups restrictions and Source 4 confirms it 'should not be used as punishment or in response to' verbal defiance.
Source 1 states 'delivery of the devices by March 2027.'
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