As we recently reported, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 21 bills, including the first statewide ban on ICE using shock gloves, to which First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli replied, "Or what? You’re going to write us a ticket?" NBC News reported on Wednesday that a study conducted by the U.S. Army found that the shock gloves purchased by ICE "cause pain, compliance, and fear." So … they work as intended?
Army study found shock gloves purchased by ICE cause pain, compliance and fear. https://t.co/Ukq0R9Bd67
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 7, 2026
So it turns out it's not an NBC News story after all, but a reprint from The Associated Press, which reports:
The shock gloves immigration agents could soon use to control detainees and protesters worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting immediately and feared additional exposures, according to a previously unreleased Army study.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement leaders were aware of the findings before signing a $16.7 million contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of shock gloves in August, according to records obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight and shared with The Associated Press.
The shocks had a profound impact on Army employees who played the role of combative prisoners during the exercise, which took place at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas in October 2024.
The participants, several of whom were large-statured men, stopped resisting seconds after officers applied shocks by touching gloves to their skin, and were left with “fatigue, soreness and excessive apprehensiveness to being shocked again,” the study found.
“After experiencing the effects of the GLOVE, ... participants stated just seeing the GLOVE was enough to make them want to comply,” the authors wrote.
Good. Order more.
@NBCNews "Shock gloves cause pain" is exactly the kind of top notch reporting I've come to expect from the J-school all-stars at NBC.
— XcentricXennial (@XcentricXennial) October 7, 2026
@NBCNews Don't take the Army's word for it, NBC. I want to see them tested on journalists
— Robert Kroese (@robkroese) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews So, functioning as designed?
— Drinking Outside the Box (@DrinkOutTheBox) October 7, 2026
@NBCNews Kinda the entire reason they bought them
— Voödoo 6 von Inyanga (@6Voodoo) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews NBC just now figuring out shock gloves shock people has me rolling
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews So they did a study that found out they do what they were designed to do. Amazing.
— 𝙼𝚁. 𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚂𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁 (@MrLeadslinger) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews Good. Comply with law enforcement or face the consequences.
— Grant Ellison (@007Yosemite) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews Army study found that bombs dropped from planes landing on the enemy actually explode and blow shit up! Are you people required to wear full clown costumes to work, including makeup? You should be!
— CanesWinTheCup2026@wildauburnrebel (@wildauburnrebel) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews NBC finally found something that hurts and it's ICE gloves. Funny how they never run a study on the victims of the criminals ICE is picking up.
— Mr. E (@Mr_E_Studio) October 7, 2026
@NBCNews They sound like the kinda gloves I voted for
— Rembrandt Blue (@_Rembrandtblue) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews Perhaps ICE should use feather gloves to tickle criminals into compliance?
— Jamie (@magictorch) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews Then they will be a very HANDY thing for people who resist arrest/detention and or try to cause harm to agents DOING THEIR JOB.
— oldzkooler (@boomerangered) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews Awesome, the government bought something that works!
— Mark C 🍺 (@markcemo) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews This is right up there with "Closing the door on your fridge keeps your food cold" reporting.
— ThisJustin25 (@TJustin25) October 8, 2026
@NBCNews Exactly as they are supposed to but non lethal. This is NOT journalism. What an embarrassment
— Troy (@Troy49042989) October 8, 2026
But a liberal watchdog group handed them a study, thinking this would come across as a negative.
@NBCNews Swift compliance protects not only the perp but the police and general public.
— BDrake (@freedom1o1) October 7, 2026
@NBCNews The three things promised in the instruction booklet Not sure why you'd expect something different
— The Judgmental Dog (@the_addressor) October 7, 2026
@NBCNews OK, you've listed the benefits. What are the drawbacks?
— Charles R Baron Jr. (@crbarnjr) October 7, 2026
Let's hope this story travels far and wide so that the fear factor spreads through the illegal alien community.
***
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join Twitchy VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.