California Bans ICE’s Shock Gloves Before the Feds Even Buy Them

The California Legislature passed a bill late Monday banning law enforcement agencies in the state from using electric shock gloves, a direct response to a Department of Homeland Security notice that ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on the devices. The gloves, marketed by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies as the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, or GLOVE, can deliver up to 380 volts and administer shocks at up to 30 pulses per second; ICE had already awarded the company a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs [1, 2]. San Diego Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins introduced the measure only last week using a “gut-and-amend” process to fast-track it before the legislative session ended, and it now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, though he has not said whether he will sign it [3]. Separately, the Legislature also gave final approval to the “GTFO Act,” which requires former ICE agents to pass a special suitability review before taking many state and local public-sector jobs, with the Department of Homeland Security saying it will not comply, calling the restrictions unconstitutional [4].

Why It Sucks:

California Democrats

• A last-minute scramble to beat the feds. Lawmakers rushed the shock-glove ban through with only days left in the session because ICE’s $16.7 million contract was already signed, meaning the ban may not stop devices already on order [1, 2].
• The GTFO Act still leaves a loophole. Former ICE agents can still become local police if they pass a “case-by-case” suitability review, which critics argue undercuts the law’s stated goal of keeping former federal immigration officers out of local law enforcement [3].
• Federal defiance guts the win. Even after passing both bills, Democrats now face a Department of Homeland Security that has flatly said it will not comply, turning a legislative victory into another court fight [4].

Trump Administration and ICE

• State law can’t bind federal agents. The administration argues California has no authority to dictate what equipment federal immigration officers carry or who ICE is allowed to hire elsewhere, calling the restrictions unconstitutional [4].
• A less-lethal tool gets vilified. DHS has marketed the shock gloves as a de-escalation alternative to firearms, and officials see the ban as California blocking a safer option for agents facing volatile encounters [1, 2].
• A $16.7 million contract now in limbo. ICE already committed millions to Compliant Technologies before the state acted, leaving the administration to sort out procurement amid a state ban it does not intend to honor [2, 4].

California Law Enforcement Agencies

• Hiring pools shrink under the GTFO Act. Local departments that have historically recruited experienced former federal agents now must run every former ICE applicant through a new state suitability review, adding red tape at a time many departments are short-staffed [3].
• Departments caught between state and federal law. Agencies that already considered less-lethal shock devices now face a state ban that federal officials say doesn’t apply to them, creating confusion over what equipment is actually legal to use [1, 4].
• Individual officers become political targets. Rank-and-file officers with prior ICE experience are now subject to case-by-case reviews for jobs they’d otherwise easily qualify for, turning routine hiring into a politically charged process [3].

Sources & Citations:

[1] CalMatters: A new California bill would ban ICE from using electric shock gloves
[2] Just The News: California lawmakers pass ban on ICE agents using shock gloves
[3] Santa Barbara Independent: California Democrats Race to Ban Electric Shock Gloves Before ICE Buys Them
[4] Democracy Now!: Headlines for September 01, 2026