ICE's $16.7M no-bid contract for electric-shock gloves

ICE signed a $16,700,640 contract with Compliant Technologies LLC of Kentucky on Aug 26, 2026, for what the award record describes as conductive energy and de-escalation devices. It was not competed; ICE received one offer. Reporting puts the order at 6,000 pairs of gloves.

ICE's own planning forecast, published Aug 10, names the device: the CTG-5 G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), to be issued to Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations officers and agents. It listed the purchase with no competition and an estimate of $10 million to $20 million, and filed it under the federal industry code for "Other Spectator Sports" (711219). The award record uses a wholesale-equipment code (423850). The forecast page came down from DHS's site between Aug 23 and Sept 2; the archived copy is hosted here.

The maker's own user guide for its Gen 4 and Gen 5 gloves says the Gen 5 stores a record of every activation and recommends downloading it at least quarterly. It warns that any use of force with the device "may cause or contribute to death or serious injury," advises against using it on the elderly, small children, pregnant women and the severely handicapped, and says it "SHALL NOT be deployed" for verbal defiance, punishment or torture. The guide says the technology "should be treated seriously like any other weapon," and also that the company "does not consider CD3 Technology to be a weapon." The award record names no model, so which version ICE bought is not confirmed.

On Aug 27, the day it was reported, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and 15 other Democratic senators urged ICE to cancel the purchase. A DHS spokesperson called the pushback "despicable and a deliberate attempt to undermine and endanger our officers."

How we know: Two federal records read directly (Oct 1, 2026): ICE's acquisition forecast and the award record, plus the maker's user guide. The 6,000-pair count comes from reporting. Dated to the signing; earlier versions used Aug 27, the day it was reported.