ICE Is Rolling Out a New 380-Volt Weapon for Immigration Raids, and Tom Homan Claims It Is the Key to Avoiding Deadly Force
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ICE just announced plans to equip its officers with 380-volt electric shock gloves, and the agency’s leadership is calling them a game-changer for avoiding deadly force. According to The Hill, the gloves, officially called Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters or G.L.O.V.E.s, are set to roll out as early as March 2027, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earmarking up to $20 million for the initiative.
White House border czar Tom Homan defended the move during a recent appearance on Fox News, arguing the devices will give officers a non-lethal option to gain compliance during immigration raids. Homan framed the gloves as a middle-ground tool, something between verbal commands and lethal force. “You can’t just go from 0 to 100, right, and the first thing you go for is lethal force,” he said.
The gloves, manufactured by Compliant Technologies, deliver a jolt of up to 380 volts when they make contact with exposed skin. Unlike tasers, they don’t penetrate clothing or incapacitate a person. They’re designed purely to inflict pain and prompt compliance. The company’s website describes them as a way to “de-escalate tense situations quickly and effectively,” and Homan echoed that sentiment, calling them another tool in the non-lethal arsenal alongside pepper spray and tasers.
The gloves have been used in correctional facilities and police departments for years
Some agencies swear by them. Justin Hall, a jailer in Kentucky, told the Associated Press his facility adopted them four years ago to manage difficult inmates. He’s been shocked by the gloves more than 10 times during training and described the sensation as an intense, immediate pain that stops the moment contact is broken.
“It’s just a safer way,” Hall said. He added that it’s safer on the inmate, and on the staff. “Most of the time, most of the time we get compliance.” His agency rarely needs to use them, but when they do, they work as a deterrent when other de-escalation tactics fail.
Still, the idea of ICE officers using them during immigration raids has raised eyebrows. The agency has faced criticism in the past for its use of force, including multiple fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in recent months. According to NPR, Naureen Shah, director of policy and government affairs for immigration at the ACLU, questioned whether ICE is equipped to handle the responsibility.
“My immediate reaction was, why would you give this kind of novel dangerous technology that’s hard to train people on to agency personnel who have a track record of abuse and even cruelty?” she said. Shah authored a report documenting widespread use of force by ICE during the first year of the current administration, including hundreds of taser deployments.
Shockingly, the gloves have also made their way into schools
Omaha, Nebraska, purchased them for its public school system, though it’s unclear if they’re actively being used. More than 50 police departments across 20 states have also adopted them, along with prisons, jails, and hospitals.
Compliant Technologies markets the gloves as versatile, even suggesting they could help healthcare workers manage agitated patients. “This same technology can be a game-changer in healthcare settings, helping to safely manage combative patients, protecting staff, which fosters a safer and more controlled environment,” the company’s website states.
Training will be a critical factor in how the gloves are used. Homan acknowledged it’ll be a while before ICE officers start wearing them, as the agency is still developing protocols to govern their use.
Kenneth Corey, a former high-ranking officer with the New York City Police Department, said the gloves could be a useful tool if agencies implement strict policies and hold officers accountable. “It doesn’t matter if it’s ICE or any other agency. Any new piece of equipment that’s being introduced, you have to have strong policies that govern its use,” he said.
Videos on Compliant Technologies’ Instagram page show how brutal the gloves can be
In one clip, the company’s founder, Jeff Niklaus, demonstrates the glove on an officer with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department. The officer screams and collapses to the ground the moment the glove makes contact. He later described the sensation as feeling like he had “no control.”
Corey, who stands 6’3″ and weighs 250 pounds, said the gloves made his knees buckle after someone simply grabbed his wrist while wearing one. The company claims there have been no documented injuries from the gloves, but the videos suggest the pain is immediate and overwhelming.
ICE’s plan to adopt the gloves comes as the agency ramps up its enforcement efforts. Shah pointed out that ICE has been rapidly hiring thousands of new officers, many with limited training, which could make the gloves even riskier in the field.
“The idea of arming ICE agents with limited training and a recent track record of misusing force and using it way too much, to hand them this kind of weapon is reckless and surprising,” she said. DHS, however, maintains that ICE officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and that the gloves will simply give them another tool to safely make arrests.
For now, the gloves remain in the testing and training phase
If all goes according to plan, ICE officers could start wearing them as early as next spring. Whether they’ll actually reduce the use of deadly force, or just add another layer of pain to an already tense situation, remains to be seen.
One thing is certain: these gloves are a significant escalation in how immigration enforcement operates, and their rollout will be closely watched by advocates, lawmakers, and the public alike.
(Featured image: Fibonacci Blue)
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