SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law on September 29, 2026, banning local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from using gloves that can deliver electric shocks. The ban will take effect next year and remain in place until 2030. This legislation follows a recent move by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to equip its officers with such gloves, which are intended to gain compliance from individuals resisting arrest. Last month, ICE awarded a contract worth nearly $17 million for 6,000 pairs of these gloves.
In a statement, Newsom emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement, stating, "Trump has put his political interests above the health, safety, and livelihood of American families." The law reflects a broader trend among Democratic-led states pushing back against the Trump administration's immigration policies. In California alone, lawmakers have introduced at least two dozen bills this year aimed at strengthening immigrants' rights and limiting cooperation with federal immigration agents.
According to an Associated Press analysis, 17 states with Democratic-controlled legislatures have enacted over 100 pro-immigrant bills this year, primarily aimed at reducing collaboration with federal immigration enforcement.
California Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, who introduced the legislation, stated that it aims to pause the use of shock gloves while assessing their safety. The law mandates the state's Justice Department to conduct a study on the gloves' safety and report findings to lawmakers by 2029. Sharp-Collins noted concerns about public safety and unrest regarding law enforcement practices.
The law also tests the state's authority to regulate federal agents amid ongoing immigration enforcement challenges. A federal judge previously blocked a law that prohibited federal officers from wearing face coverings, citing its selective application. Lawmakers have since passed a new bill to extend the ban to all officers, which Newsom signed.
Kevin Johnson, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, School of Law, expressed skepticism about the law's enforceability, suggesting it may conflict with the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prioritizes federal law over state law. He indicated that the state has limited authority in dictating how federal officers are equipped.
California law enforcement groups have largely opposed the ban. Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper, a Democrat, criticized the decision, arguing that shock gloves are a non-lethal option for officers. He stated, "When the federal government does something, the state Legislature wants to ban it. They're making our job harder."
Sharp-Collins noted that ICE's plan to use shock gloves prompted the legislation, referencing a case where a man allegedly died after being tased and shocked multiple times while in custody in 2024. State Senator Scott Wiener, who authored the earlier mask ban, also sponsored the current measure to expand the prohibition to state officers, asserting that California must protect communities from ICE's actions.
Associated Press writer David A. Lieb contributed to this report from Jefferson City, Missouri.