Nevada Senator Says ICE Ignored Letter on Shock Gloves

By Emily Carrington Portland, OR · FORT LEAVENWORTH —

Published Updated 3 min read

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto says ICE has not answered an August letter about shock gloves. The agency signed a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs despite study findings on pain.

FORT LEAVENWORTH — U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not replied to a letter dated Aug. 27, in which she and 15 fellow Democratic senators urged the agency to either halt its plan to acquire electric shock gloves or provide details on their intended use and safeguards against misuse.

Before finalizing a $16.7 million contract in August to buy 6,000 pairs of shock gloves, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had access to study results about the devices. The agency described the gloves in procurement records as tools for distraction and de-escalation, asserting they would be safer than other non-lethal methods when subduing individuals during arrests, deportations, or civil disturbances. ICE maintained that the quick compliance the gloves produce would enhance officer safety and reduce the likelihood of situations escalating to lethal force.

The military evaluation of the gloves occurred at the Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas in October 2024. An Army study determined the gloves caused intense pain, immediate compliance, and fear of further shocks among participants during the exercise. Those involved reported aftereffects including fatigue, soreness, and heightened anxiety about being shocked again. The gloves deliver an electric pulse that overwhelms the skin’s peripheral nerve endings to induce pain, differing from a Taser, which causes muscular incapacitation.

Participants with wet or oily skin reported stronger shocks, with one individual describing discomfort lasting 30 minutes. The manufacturer cautions against using the gloves on vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, or people with disabilities. According to Compliant Technologies' instruction manual, users must give subjects a reasonable chance to comply before applying force. The manual recommends limiting use to 15 seconds unless the subject escalates violence or poses a danger.

Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight, commented on the deployment plans. "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." Chukwu said. She added that "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."

"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," Cortez Masto said. The Department of Homeland Security supported the purchase, claiming critics were attempting to withhold safety equipment from federal law enforcement. A statement issued Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not address inquiries about the study or rollout status, but emphasized that "officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics."

White House border czar Tom Homan indicated it may be "be awhile" before the gloves are deployed, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to finalize training and policy guidelines. The contract with manufacturer Compliant Technologies LLC requires delivery of the gloves within six months. Each pair costs $2,495. Jeff Niklaus, owner of Compliant Technologies LLC, declined an interview request, citing a heavy workload.

Compliant Technologies, based in Lexington, Kentucky, is owned by military veterans. The gloves are branded G.L.O.V.E., an acronym for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the study and related records to American Oversight as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit the group filed seeking information on the agency’s use-of-force practices.

What's New

A 43-year-old man died after officers allegedly used a combination of the gloves and a Taser to shock him 40 times at a county jail in Kentucky; his widow is now pursuing legal action against authorities. A study titled "ICE Was Not Meant To Be Cold: The Case for Civil Rights Monitoring of Immigration Enforcement at the Workplace" was published in 2011 in eCommons (Cornell University).

Why It Matters

ICE leaders were aware of research indicating the devices cause lasting anxiety and physical discomfort before approving the contract. The rollout continues despite manufacturer warnings restricting use on high-risk populations, raising concerns that federal agents may use pain-inducing equipment without sufficient safety data across the diverse groups encountered during enforcement actions.

fact_check Facts

An Army study found that shock gloves caused intense pain, immediate compliance, and fear of additional exposures in participants during a military exercise.
The military exercise involving the shock gloves took place at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas in October 2024.
Participants in the study were left with fatigue, soreness, and excessive apprehensiveness to being shocked again.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement leaders were aware of the study findings before signing a $16.7 million contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of shock gloves in August.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement described the gloves as "distraction and de-escalation devices" in procurement documents.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated the gloves would be safer than other non-lethal options for subduing targets for arrest, deportation, and civil disturbances.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement argued that the rapid compliance caused by the gloves would keep officers safer and prevent incidents from requiring potentially lethal force.
The manufacturer of the gloves warns they should not be used on high-risk populations such as children, pregnant women, or disabled people.
Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director
"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."
The electric jolt from the gloves works by overloading the peripheral nerve endings of the skin to cause pain, rather than causing the body to freeze like a Taser shock.
Participants who were wet or had oil on their skin described even more powerful shocks, with one reporting discomfort for 30 minutes afterward.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's contract requires the manufacturer, Compliant Technologies LLC, to deliver the gloves within six months.
The gloves cost $2,495 apiece.
Jeff Niklaus, owner of Compliant Technologies LLC, said he was unavailable for an interview, citing a busy workload.
Compliant Technologies' instruction manual says users of the gloves should "always give the subject(s) a reasonable opportunity to comply before force is used."
The instruction manual suggests using the gloves for up to 15 seconds, unless the subject becomes more violent or endangers people.
Tom Homan, White House border czar
White House border czar Tom Homan said it could "be awhile" before the gloves are in the field because Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still ironing out training and policy issues.
A statement released Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not address questions about the study and the status of the rollout, but said "officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics."
Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. Senator
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not responded to an Aug. 27 letter in which she and 15 other Democratic Senate colleagues called for the agency to abandon its plan to buy the gloves or explain how they would be used and managed to avoid abuse.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the purchase, accusing critics of trying to deny federal law enforcement officers safety equipment.
The gloves carry the brand name G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter.

menu_bookBackground & Context

Context and data our newsroom added to the originating report.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the study and other documents to American Oversight as part of the group's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking records related to the agency's use of force.
Compliant Technologies is owned by military veterans and based in Lexington, Kentucky.
A 43-year-old man died after allegedly being shocked 40 times by officers with a combination of the gloves and a Taser in a county jail in Kentucky, and the man’s widow is suing authorities.
A study titled "ICE Was Not Meant To Be Cold: The Case for Civil Rights Monitoring of Immigration Enforcement at the Workplace" was published in 2011 in eCommons (Cornell University).

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