U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves, a technology already deployed by police in Omaha, Nebraska public schools, according to Department of Homeland Security documents published this week. The gloves, called G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), deliver electric shocks and are intended as a use-of-force option for officers.
The Omaha Police Department received $65,924 in May 2025 to purchase 40 units of the same gloves for school resource officers, city documents show. The police department stated the gloves aim to deescalate and prevent use-of-force situations. However, neither Omaha Police nor Omaha Public Schools responded to requests for details on usage or training. Public records do not clarify how or if the gloves are currently in use in schools.
The gloves have been adopted by more than 50 police departments across 20 states, according to an NPR analysis. ICE’s investment signals a broader federal interest in equipping officers with this emerging technology amid ongoing debates about law enforcement use of force. The gloves offer a non-lethal option but raise questions about safety and oversight in sensitive environments such as schools.
The Department of Homeland Security documents outlining ICE’s planned expenditure on the gloves were published this week, marking a significant federal procurement of the technology.