Shock gloves purchased by ICE cause ‘intense pain’ and fear, Army study found
Por Ryan J. Foley — – World RSS Feed
Shock gloves purchased by ICE cause ‘intense pain’ and fear, Army study found
‘Everyone should be alarmed that ICE is preparing to deploy a tool designed to inflict, at best, intense pain, without showing that it is safe for the people who will be subjected to it’
Ryan J. Foley Wednesday 07 October 2026 14:01 BST
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Electric shock gloves that federal immigration authorities are preparing to utilize on detainees and demonstrators inflicted pain so severe during a military trial that participants immediately halted resistance out of fear of further exposure, a previously undisclosed Army report reveals.
Officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were aware of these test results prior to approving a $16.7 million contract in August to purchase 6,000 pairs of the devices, according to agency records obtained by the non-profit watchdog group American Oversight and shared with The Associated Press.
Conducted in October 2024 at the military penitentiary in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the exercise demonstrated the dramatic effect of the technology on Army staff role-playing as combative detainees.
Even larger male participants surrendered seconds after the gloves touched their skin, later reporting physical exhaustion, soreness, and a heightened fear of receiving additional shocks, the study documented.
“After experiencing the effects of the GLOVE, … participants stated just seeing the GLOVE was enough to make them want to comply,” the study’s authors wrote.
ICE has categorized the technology as “distraction and de-escalation devices,” asserting they provide a safer alternative to other non-lethal equipment during arrests, deportations, and public civil disturbances.
The agency contends that forcing rapid compliance lowers the risk of injury to personnel and reduces the likelihood of situations escalating to lethal force.
Conversely, critics express concern that the equipment provides ICE with an additional mechanism to intimidate and brutalize individuals, coming at a time when the agency faces intense scrutiny over excessive force incidents that have caused injuries and fatalities nationwide.
Opponents highlight that the gloves are simple to activate, leave no visible marks, and have seen little application outside correctional facilities.
Furthermore, the product’s manufacturer advises against using the devices on vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, or disabled people.
“The military assessment in ICE’s own files shows that these gloves can cause ‘intense pain’ and force compliance. It does not establish that they are safe,” said Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight.
“Everyone should be alarmed that ICE is preparing to deploy a tool designed to inflict, at best, intense pain, without showing that it is safe for the people who will be subjected to it,” Chukwu said.
The underlying documents were surrendered by ICE to American Oversight as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit aimed at uncovering records regarding the agency’s use-of-force practices.
The military prison trial specifically assessed the operational value of the equipment during forced cell removals, disturbances in common areas, and the transport of non-compliant prisoners.
Role-playing employees executed various scenarios both with and without the gloves to measure their impact, including violent confrontations where participants fought with maximum effort.
Researchers concluded that the gloves “increased the efficiency” of response units during cell extractions and riots by shortening physical altercations, limiting officer exhaustion, and preventing injuries.
While escort times were not significantly altered, controlling inmates required less physical exertion.
The study noted that “GLOVE provides a boost in confidence to smaller or less trained members,” adding that “Inmate compliance was immediate” when compared to traditional physical control methods.
Unlike a Taser, which immobilizes muscle movement, the glove functions by “overloading the peripheral nerve endings” of the skin to trigger pain, according to the report.
Subjects who were wet or had oil on their skin experienced significantly heightened shocks, with one individual reporting discomfort lasting 30 minutes afterward.
Under the terms of the agreement, the supplier, Compliant Technologies LLC, must deliver the gloves within six months. The company’s owner, Jeff Niklaus, declined to be interviewed, citing a busy workload.
White House border czar Tom Homan noted that field deployment could take time as ICE continues to refine its official policies and training protocols.
A statement released Tuesday by ICE did not directly address inquiries regarding the Army study or the deployment status, but stated: “officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics.”
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada stated that ICE has failed to respond to an Aug. 27 letter sent by her and 15 fellow Democratic Senate colleagues, which urged the agency to cancel the contract or clarify its operational guidelines to prevent potential misuse. She indicated she is still awaiting answers.
“Without ICE’s responses to legitimate questions from 16 United States Senators, the American public is being left in the dark about how these electric shock gloves are being deployed and what, if any, training the agents who use them have received,” she said.
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