Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving ahead with a roughly $220 million, five-year plan to equip agents with about 17,800 Tasers, cartridges and training - a sweeping expansion of the agency’s conducted-energy arsenal. The move would significantly boost the number of devices ICE has fielded in recent years and comes as the agency ramps up enforcement operations nationwide. Lawmakers and public-safety advocates are already asking whether more long-range stun guns will calm dangerous encounters or simply extend federal reach deeper into local communities.
The proposal appears in a federal contracting notice posted last Tuesday on SAM.gov. The notice outlines a five-year deal to purchase T10 Tasers, unlimited cartridges and training, with a deadline for vendors to submit information by next Friday (March 13). If ICE ultimately awards a contract, the work would cover deliveries of the devices, replacement cartridges and ongoing training over multiple years.
What ICE Says It Is Buying
The solicitation specifies the T10 model, a long-range device that can fire 10-probe cartridges and, according to Times of San Diego, hit targets at distances of up to roughly 45 feet. In documents attached to the notice, ICE describes the new Tasers as de-escalation tools, arguing that greater distance gives agents more room and time to defuse hostile situations before they spiral. Critics counter that the technology is hardly risk-free; Diane Goldstein of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership cautioned that the devices “can still be lethal if deployed improperly,” a warning raised in coverage of the plan.
Critics And Oversight
Sen. Adam Schiff’s office has highlighted what it calls a broader buildup of weaponry inside the Department of Homeland Security, reporting that ICE and Customs and Border Protection together committed more than $144 million to weapons and accessories last year and warning the trend risks fostering an “immigration industrial complex,” according to Schiff’s office. In response, lawmakers have been pressing DHS for more detail on training standards, vetting and use-of-force policies as procurement speeds up. Several Democrats are pushing to tie conditions to new equipment purchases and to require watchdog reviews before large sums are released.
Who Stands To Gain
Axon Enterprise, the Scottsdale-based company that manufactures TASER devices, is effectively the only supplier that matches the T10 specifications and has been expanding its presence in federal contracts. The company reported $2.8 billion in revenue for 2025 in its year-end release. Disclosure records and prior reporting indicate Axon spent roughly $2.5 million on federal lobbying last year, and Axon’s CEO told investors on a Feb. 24 earnings call that “a TASER cartridge is fired in the field approximately every 30 seconds in the U.S.,” according to an earnings transcript.
What Happens Next
Vendors have until next Friday (March 13) to submit information through SAM.gov, after which ICE could move toward awarding a contract. Congressional negotiators, oversight offices and advocacy groups say they intend to press DHS for detailed answers on vetting, training and reporting requirements before any major shipments roll out. Community organizations and some local officials are also signaling they will keep a close eye on how and where the long-range conducted-energy weapons are ultimately deployed if the deal goes through.
