ICE signs $16.7 million contract for electric shock gloves amid congressional opposition

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a $16.7 million contract with Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies to acquire 6,000 pairs of electric-shock gloves and related support equipment over the next six months. The agency says the devices, which deliver a painful electric pulse when a button is pressed, will be used in “high-tension environments” such as arrests, transport of combative detainees and crowd-control situations, aiming to reduce reliance on more severe force.

The purchase was made without competitive bidding and was disclosed in a federal procurement notice on Thursday. The same day, a group of 16 Democratic senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, sent a letter to ICE’s acting director urging the agency to cancel the acquisition, citing concerns about the risk of misuse and the lack of clear training and oversight standards.

“The blatant and tragic misuse of force in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, Maine, and other locations around the country raises significant skepticism about the agency’s professional capability to safely deploy a new tool that could be used to harm Americans without cause,” the senators wrote.

ICE’s statement defended the procurement, asserting that opposition from “sanctuary politicians” seeks to prevent law-enforcement officers from obtaining safety equipment.

“Sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from any safety equipment is despicable and a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger our officers,” the agency said.

Civil-rights advocates have previously criticized ICE for its use of force and limited accountability, and the glove purchase adds to ongoing debates over law-enforcement tools and oversight.