Booker, Padilla, Blumenthal Demand DHS and ICE Halt the Purchase of Electric Shock Gloves

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, are calling on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director David J. Venturella to immediately halt the planned purchase of electric shock gloves and provide answers about the circumstances that led ICE to pursue the acquisition. According to an August 10 DHS acquisition forecast, ICE intends to spend up to $20 million through a sole-source, no-bid contract with Compliant Technologies, the manufacturer of the devices. The weapons, known as G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters), are hand-worn electrical devices that deliver a painful shock upon contact. In their letter, the senators raised concerns about the safety of the devices, ICE’s record of excessive force, and the risks of outfitting untrained officers who operate with little to no accountability with new weapons. “The manufacturer’s user manual warns that these electric shock weapons can cause sudden death or serious injury, along with physiological changes that increase the risk of elevated blood pressure, changes in blood chemistry, increased respiration and heart rates, changes in heart rhythm, and elevated adrenaline. The longer the exposure, the higher the risk,” the senators wrote. “The manufacturer recommends avoiding their use on the elderly, small children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.” The senators also warned that the gloves could be deployed more easily than conventional electrical control weapons because an officer only needs to make hand contact and press a switch. They argued that ICE's existing use-of-force record, combined with inadequate training and oversight, raises additional concerns about deploying a new force tool. They also raised concerns about accountability for ICE agents, citing comments from Compliant Technologies CEO Jeff Niklaus about the lack of visible injuries from the devices. The senators wrote, “That is not a safety feature; it is a liability shield. These devices are designed to leave no trace—an ‘invisible partner’ according to Compliant Technologies—even when the force is unjustified or violates the Fourth Amendment.” “DHS is not procuring a less-lethal weapon. It is procuring a tool engineered to evade accountability,” they continued. The senators also pointed to the erosion of public trust in ICE, writing, “ICE is answerable to the American public whose trust in the agency has eroded: over half of Americans have little to no confidence in the agency and over half believe it uses excessive force.” The senators are demanding that DHS and ICE halt the procurement, deployment, and use of the devices and, within 10 days, provide information about the justification and materials reviewed before the purchase, the devices’ operational need, the legal and factual basis for the sole-source contract, any potential ties between Compliant Technologies and Trump Administration officials, medical and safety reviews conducted before the procurement, and ICE's use-of-force record since January 20, 2025. Read the full text of the letter here.