Army study shows ICE shock gloves cause intense pain, immediate compliance

An Army study conducted at a military prison in Kansas last October documented what happened when soldiers role-playing as combative inmates encountered shock gloves—the same devices Immigration and Customs Enforcement would soon purchase by the thousands. The participants, including several large men, stopped resisting within seconds of the electrical contact. They reported intense pain. They described fatigue and soreness that lingered. Most tellingly, they said the mere sight of the gloves afterward made them want to comply, afraid of another shock.

ICE leaders had access to these findings before they signed a $16.7 million contract in August to buy 6,000 pairs of the devices from Compliant Technologies LLC. The gloves cost $2,495 each. According to records obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight and shared with the Associated Press, the agency knew exactly what the military had learned: these tools worked by causing pain, and they worked fast. The study found that the devices increased efficiency during forced cell extractions and responses to disturbances by shortening physical encounters and reducing the effort required to control people. "Inmate compliance was immediate," the researchers wrote.

ICE has framed the purchase as a safety measure. The agency calls the gloves "distraction and de-escalation devices" and argues they are safer than other non-lethal options for subduing people during arrests, deportations, and responses to civil disturbances. In procurement documents, ICE stated that officers face unprecedented threats and violence, and that having this tool would allow them to de-escalate situations before they turn violent. The White House border czar, Tom Homan, said it could take a while before the gloves reach the field because ICE is still developing training and policy frameworks.

But the study itself raises questions about that framing. The electrical jolt works by overloading nerve endings in the skin to produce pain—not by freezing the body the way a Taser does. Participants who were wet or had oil on their skin reported even more intense shocks, with one person experiencing discomfort for half an hour afterward. The manufacturer's own instruction manual warns that the gloves should not be used on children, pregnant women, or people with disabilities. It recommends limiting use to 15 seconds unless the subject becomes more violent or poses a danger.

Critics argue that ICE is acquiring a tool designed to inflict pain without having demonstrated it is safe for the populations it will be used on. Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, pointed out that the military assessment in ICE's own files shows the gloves cause intense pain and force compliance—but does not establish safety. The gloves are easy to discharge, leave no mark, and have not been extensively tested outside of jail settings. Given ICE's history of excessive force complaints across the nation, watchdog groups worry the agency will use them to intimidate and brutalize people.

Sixteen Democratic senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, sent ICE a letter in late August demanding the agency either abandon the purchase or explain how the gloves would be used and managed to prevent abuse. As of the time this reporting was published, ICE had not responded. Cortez Masto said the public is being left in the dark about deployment plans and what training agents have received.

The Department of Homeland Security has defended the purchase sharply, accusing critics of trying to deny federal law enforcement officers safety equipment. A DHS spokesperson called the pushback from Democrats "despicable and a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger our officers." The agency said every decision is made with careful consideration and reviewed to ensure consistency with law enforcement policies and standards, and that personnel are highly trained in de-escalation tactics. The manufacturer, Jeff Niklaus of Compliant Technologies, declined to be interviewed. The contract requires delivery within six months, meaning the gloves could begin reaching ICE agents in the field soon—even as fundamental questions about their use, training protocols, and safeguards remain unanswered.