The Department of Homeland Security is expected to purchase up to $20 million worth of gloves in response to criticism of the president’s immigration crackdown.
Published August 12, 2026
President Donald Trump’s administration plans to spend tens of millions of dollars to equip federal immigration agents with gloves that can deliver electric shocks.
The Department of Homeland Security estimates it will invest $10 million to $20 million in such gloves by the end of March 2027, according to a notice posted Monday.
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The device is known as the CT-G5 GLOVE, an acronym for “Generate Low Output Voltage Emitter.” It is currently used in some prisons and police departments.
The manufacturer, Compliant Technologies, says the gloves are used to “quickly distract a person with small, unpleasant electrical pulses” when applied to the person’s skin. The Department of Homeland Security suggested they would be used to “divert attention and de-escalate tensions.”
The user manual says the gloves can deliver up to 380 volts, which “impairs or prevents the subject’s coordinated muscle movements.”
The purchase plan has already sparked a backlash among rights advocates, who fear the gloves could be used to harm protesters or migrants in the department’s custody.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees a range of agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has led President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Monday’s announcement specifies that ICE must purchase the gloves and distribute them to employees of one of its subsidiaries, Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
But ICE faces growing criticism of its tactics, including accusations of racial profiling and excessive force.
At least four people have been shot and killed during encounters with ICE agents since the beginning of this year. Dozens more people have died while in ICE custody.
On Wednesday, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) issued a statement criticizing the anticipated glove purchase, saying it was a path to further violence against vulnerable communities.
He also noted that in June, the Republican-led Congress passed tens of billions of dollars in ICE spending as part of the Safer America Act.
“This is a corrupt agency with an $80 billion slush fund that allows it to concoct and finance new ways to inflict atrocities on our communities,” NILC President Kika Mantos said in a statement. “It is disgusting and barbaric to have poorly trained personnel wear electroshock gloves and cause pain to neighbors.”
The Department of Homeland Security had no immediate response to The Associated Press, one of the news outlets that first reported the story.
“Unfortunately, I cannot discuss this matter,” Jeff Nicklaus, Compliant’s founder and CEO, told the magazine in an email.
Compliance has argued in the past that its devices are “humane” and do not cause injury.
“This technology is safe because it does not penetrate the subject’s body, while at the same time allowing other officers to grab the subject during stimulation without fear of bodily feedback,” the manufacturer says on its website.
However, compliance recommends avoiding use of the device on “high-risk” people, such as the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and people with severe disabilities. The company says its executives also take a course on glove use and must be re-certified every two years.
The notice is described as a no-bid contract and could be made public by Friday.
