California has banned law enforcement officers from using electric-shock gloves, a direct response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's plan to equip its agents with the devices.
The ban, signed into law this week, makes California the first state to prohibit the weapons, which deliver painful shocks through gloved hands during physical contact.
ICE confirmed earlier this year that it intended to purchase and distribute the gloves to field agents. The agency said the devices would give officers a less-lethal option during confrontations.
California lawmakers disagreed. They argued the gloves are prone to abuse because they require direct physical contact and leave no visible evidence of use in many cases.
"These are torture devices disguised as equipment," said Assemblymember [Name], who authored the bill. "There is no legitimate law enforcement purpose for strapping a weapon to someone's hand."
The legislation passed with bipartisan support. It takes effect January 1 and applies to all state and local law enforcement agencies, including sheriff's departments and municipal police forces.
Federal agents operating in California, including ICE officers, are not bound by state law. Legal experts say the ban creates an unusual situation where state officers face criminal penalties for using devices that federal agents in the same state can legally carry.
"This sets up a clear conflict," said [Name], a law professor at [University]. "California can regulate its own officers, but it cannot tell federal agents what to do. We may see litigation over this."
Civil rights groups praised the move. The ACLU of California called it "a necessary step to prevent state-sanctioned torture" and urged other states to follow.
Police unions opposed the bill. They argued that officers need access to less-lethal tools and that banning one option limits their ability to handle violent suspects without resorting to firearms.
The electric-shock glove, sometimes called a "stun glove," delivers a high-voltage shock when the wearer grabs or strikes a person. Unlike Tasers, which fire projectiles from a distance, the gloves require the officer to be within arm's reach of the subject.
ICE's plan to acquire the gloves drew national attention after reporting revealed the agency had placed orders for thousands of units. The agency has not said whether it will proceed with distribution in California or elsewhere.
The California law includes no exemption for federal task forces that work alongside local officers. That means state officers assigned to joint operations with ICE would be barred from using the gloves even when working under federal supervision.
It remains unclear how the Trump administration will respond. Federal officials have not commented on California's ban.
