Palantir, ICE, Democracy and Justice

Just wanted to share a news article I wrote for my school newspaper regarding the collaboration between ICE and Palantir.

In recent months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has teamed up with Palantir Technologies in their wave of deportations. Palantir’s artificial intelligence and data mining are now being used to identify, track, and deport “suspected noncitizens,” according to the American Immigration Council.

The contract between ICE and Palantir lasts from September 2025 to September 2027, with Palantir receiving $30 million for their contribution of ImmigrationOS. The software has three main functions: identify and apprehend Americans prioritized for removal, track and report self-deportations, and make deportation logistics more efficient.

Only a month into the use of this new technology, ICE removals reached a number of over 50,000. This means that the Trump Administration is on track for far over two million deportations before the end of his second term. During Biden’s term, he deported around 600,000 undocumented immigrants.

Palantir Technologies, initially founded in 2003, launched their Artificial Intelligence Platform in 2023. Palantir’s AI footprint extends from defense and nuclear energy to manufacturing and healthcare. Their collaboration with ICE, however, has received the most backlash and attention. 

Protests have taken place nationwide denouncing the ties between Palantir and ICE. California has been a hotspot for these protests; approximately 100 activists stood outside of Palantir Technologies’ former global headquarters in Palo Alto just days ago, criticizing the company’s work with ICE and the Israeli Defense Ministry.

As Bernie Sanders, United States Senator from Vermont, says, “The American people want democracy and justice, not authoritarianism. When we stand together we win.”