Overview
- DHS published a contracting notice this week seeking up to $10–20 million to buy G.L.O.V.E. devices from Compliant Technologies for ICE, with deliveries possible by March 2027.
- The G.L.O.V.E. is a wearable Conductive Distraction and De‑escalation device that activates by a button and only works on exposed skin, producing roughly 324–380 volts at about 0.7–1.2 amps and manufacturer guidance that shocks should be brief.
- Administration officials and ICE allies have defended the gloves as a non‑lethal, compliance tool that will be governed by training and existing use‑of‑force reporting requirements.
- Civil‑rights groups, state officials and reporters say the gloves carry documented risks: local use has led to injuries, lawsuits and an active wrongful‑death claim tied to prolonged shocks that exceeded the manufacturer’s 15‑second guidance.
- The announcement elevates scrutiny of Compliant Technologies and could trigger state and federal legal reviews, public oversight demands, and debates over how the devices would change how officers interact with detainees and protesters.