California Immigrant Policy Center says electroshock gloves "by any law enforcement agency" make Californians "less safe"
California Immigrant Policy CenterLegislative advocate for the California Immigrant Policy Center, testifying for the bill before the Senate Public Safety Committee
Testifying for the California Immigrant Policy Center at the Senate Public Safety Committee's August 26, 2026 hearing, Anallely Martin said that "excessive use of force, such as taser gloves or electroshock gloves by any law enforcement agency, makes Californians less safe." She said the devices "would endanger the health and safety of Californians" and heighten fear among immigrant families, and she urged the committee to support AB 2760.
Responding to
Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins said the gloves are largely untested in real-world encounters, that a man died after being repeatedly shocked with them while in custody, and that public safety technology must be proven safe before it is deployed.
“Excessive use of force, such as taser gloves or electroshock gloves by any law enforcement agency, makes Californians less safe. These new devices would endanger the health and safety of Californians and heighten the fear immigrant families are experiencing currently during the Trump administration's dangerous mass deportation campaign.”
Original video
Original text
Where this statement fits
Can California ban ICE and other federal agents from using electric shock gloves, as AB 2760 does?
On September 29, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2760, which bars any law enforcement agency in California, including federal agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from using a wearable electroshock device, meaning a weapon worn as a glove that delivers an electric shock. The law applies to state, local and federal agencies, requires a state Department of Justice study by January 1, 2029, and is repealed on January 1, 2030. It followed ICE's August 2026 sole-source contract of $16,700,640 for G.L.O.V.E. gloves from Compliant Technologies. Newsom and the bill's author, Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, defend the ban, and Sharp-Collins says the gloves have not been proven safe. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli says California has no jurisdiction over federal agents and that he advised the Department of Homeland Security to disregard the law, and the department says it will not abide by it. Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, the California State Sheriffs' Association, Republican legislators and the gloves' maker oppose the ban as unwise, and two UC Davis law professors say California likely lacks the power to bind federal officers. The disputed question is whether California can ban federal agents from using electric shock gloves. As of October 1, 2026, no court had ruled on AB 2760, and we found no lawsuit against it.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
The Senate Public Safety Committee's August 26, 2026 hearing on AB 2760 as archived by CalMatters Digital Democracy. The segment is Anallely Martin's two-minute statement for the California Immigrant Policy Center, a witness for the author. The bill passed the committee 5 to 1 at this hearing.
Original text
About this source
Roll calls for AB 2760. On the rewritten bill, Senate Public Safety voted 5-1 on August 26, Senate Appropriations 4-2 on August 27, the Senate floor 29-9 on August 31 and the Assembly concurred 55-16 on August 31. The earlier votes on the bill, including the Assembly's 51-7 vote on May 26, were on a different version about county inspectors general.
Before the quotation
The committee heard the author's presentation, then Martin and a second witness in support, then the California State Sheriffs' Association and the California Police Chiefs Association in opposition. The bill at that stage was the August 21 version.
After the quotation
The committee passed the bill 5 to 1 later in the hearing, with Sen. Kelly Seyarto voting no. The Senate amended it on August 28 and passed it on August 31. As of October 1, 2026, no court had ruled on AB 2760.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the ban as applied to federal officers, the center supports the ban as covering any law enforcement agency and argues the gloves make Californians less safe, tying that to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement. The testimony addresses the safety question and does not argue that California has the power to bind federal officers. We used Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, but the testimony states no condition.
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More from this case
Read the full caseEssayli tells Newsom California has "no jurisdiction" over federal agents and says he advised DHS to disregard the shock-glove ban
“Governor, we’ve been through this already. If you want to regulate federal agents, you have to win a federal election. Until then, you have no jurisdiction. Accordingly, I have advised DHS to disregard your bill attempting to ban safe and effective less-lethal tools that agents need to escalate dangerous situations.”Read statement
Law professor Kevin Johnson says California has "very limited, if any, powers" over how federal officers are armed
“The state has very limited, if any, powers in dictating to the federal government how its officers are armed”Read statement
Newsom's office says California "cannot dictate federal immigration policy" but can set requirements for law-enforcement practices where federal enforcement operates in the state
“California cannot dictate federal immigration policy. But where federal immigration enforcement operates within California, the state can establish and enforce state-law requirements governing state property, state resources, detention facilities, public records, law-enforcement practices and access to state-administered programs.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "California Immigrant Policy Center says electroshock gloves "by any law enforcement agency" make Californians "less safe"". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4159-testifying-for-the-california-immigrant-policy-center-at