People reports that the ICE shock gloves contract, valued at between $10 million and $20 million, has drawn immediate legal scrutiny from state officials who argue it violates constitutional protections and civil rights law.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published the contract this week, confirming plans to equip officers with electric-shock gloves manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a small, 100% veteran-owned business based in Lexington, Kentucky. The device is formally designated the G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) and is marketed by its maker as a ‘conductive distraction and de-escalation device.’
What the ICE Shock Gloves Contract Covers
The gloves deliver shocks of 0.7 to 1.2 amps at 324 to 380 volts. Unlike TASERS, they leave no burns or contact marks, and the manufacturer states that pain ceases as soon as the officer ends the shock. ICE has argued the devices could reduce reliance on firearms and pepper spray, and has said officers will not deploy them on high-risk individuals including pregnant women.
Until now, the G.L.O.V.E. has been used primarily in prison and detention settings. Scripps News describes Compliant Technologies as a small company, and its website states that officers wishing to use the device must be certified through an Agency Master Instructor programme, which allows departments to train staff in defensive tactics developed specifically for the glove.
John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, described the sensation as: ‘It’s immediate and sharp, and it will distract you. I call it like a bee sting.’
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement: ‘ICE is constantly assessing the needs of our officers…to ensure they have the…equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens. Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed.’
A Fatal Precedent in Kentucky
The contract faces scrutiny in part because of a 2024 death linked to the same device. Jonathan Mansfield, a 44-year-old man from Richmond, Kentucky, suffered a fatal heart attack after receiving a combined 27 shocks from a G.L.O.V.E. and 13 shocks from a TASER at Madison County Detention Center. An investigation found that two of the glove shocks lasted 45 seconds and 99 seconds, far exceeding the manufacturer’s recommended maximum of 15 seconds.
Mansfield died at UK Hospital following the incident. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, his wife subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Madison County Detention Center and its officials. WKYT reports the lawsuit was filed in October 2025.
Compliant Technologies’ own guidance warns that the gloves must not be used on individuals showing only ‘verbal defiance or belligerence,’ nor on high-risk populations including children, pregnant women, or elderly people. Demonstration videos released by the company show fit, prepared officers dropping to the ground and yelling during shocks.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James said at a news conference that she is ‘outraged’ by the plan. Her office is reviewing the proposal, and she said: ‘It appears to be arbitrary and capricious…It appears to be in violation of a number of laws, including our constitution.’ New York Governor Kathy Hochul added: ‘It appears to be, on its face, a violation of civil rights.’
US Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said on X: ‘This won’t make anyone safer and in fact just gives ICE another dangerous tool to target citizens and immigrants alike.’
Subject to any legal challenge progressing, the Mansfield wrongful death lawsuit will serve as an early test of how courts treat injuries and deaths caused by the device, and its outcome could directly influence whether ICE’s procurement proceeds on the terms currently proposed.
