ICE Awards $16.7M Contract for Electric Shock Gloves Despite Opposition

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded a $16.7 million no-bid contract to Compliant Technologies LLC, a Kentucky-based firm, to purchase 6,000 pairs of gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks. The agency stated the gloves would be used in 'high-tension environments' such as managing detainees and controlling crowds. The purchase proceeded despite opposition from civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that ICE officers cannot be trusted to use the devices appropriately given their history of excessive force. The contract was announced in a federal database notice on Thursday, just hours after a group of senators led by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada urged the agency to cancel the plan. In a letter to ICE's acting director, Cortez Masto and 15 colleagues questioned the need for the devices, citing 'blatant and tragic misuse of force' in locations including Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and Maine. The deal includes support equipment and services over the next six months. The acquisition comes amid ongoing criticism of ICE's enforcement of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, with advocates pointing to a lack of oversight and accountability.