ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to acquire thousands of the devices, known as G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, according to a Department of Homeland Security procurement notice. Manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky, the gloves are designed to look like ordinary patrol gloves until an officer activates the electrical function. The device must make direct contact with a person's skin to deliver the electrical stimulus, which the manufacturer says can help officers gain compliance within seconds. ICE expects the equipment to be available to officers by March, although the purchase was still in the procurement process as of Tuesday.

The gloves have previously been used by some jails and police departments, including in situations involving people resisting detention or transport. The manufacturer says officers must complete training and be recertified every two years, and warns that the devices should not be used as punishment or against people who are only verbally defiant. It also advises against their use on children, pregnant women, elderly people and people with disabilities. The planned ICE purchase comes as the agency faces increased scrutiny over its use of force during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, with civil rights advocates questioning whether the devices are appropriate for civil immigration enforcement.