Study Finds ICE Shock Gloves Cause Intense Pain but Little Tactical Benefit

In a 2024 US Army evaluation, the newly acquired electric shock gloves—referred to as GLOVEs—caused intense, immediate pain to soldiers acting as hostile detainees, with some feeling lingering soreness for half an hour. The study noted that merely seeing the glove prompted obedience, and that guards equipped with the devices felt a confidence boost, especially smaller or less-trained personnel. Despite the severe pain, the gloves did not significantly shorten the time required to control or transfer a combative prisoner, and in some scenarios unarmed guards performed better.

ICE finalized a purchase of 6,650 glove pairs from Compliant Technologies for $16.7 million, and officials were aware of the Army’s results before the deal. The agency’s acting head David Venturella and White House border czar Tom Homan have signaled a delayed field deployment.