Palantir Technologies, a big tech company based in the US, has signed a fresh deal worth $30 million with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE is the government agency responsible for finding and deporting people living in the country without proper documents. This new deal aims to expand the agency’s ability to track not only people accused of violent crimes but also those who have simply stayed in the country after their visas expired — something that has usually been treated as a minor issue rather than a serious crime.
The upgraded system Palantir is building is called “ImmigrationOS.” This software is designed to make it easier and faster for ICE agents to find, track, and remove people from the US. According to documents, it pulls together all the needed information — from the moment someone is identified as a target, all the way to their arrest and deportation. The goal, as written in the contract, is to save time and cut down on costs while boosting the number of deportations.
One key feature of this system is its ability to spot people even before an official order is given to deport them. For example, agents can quietly track people who are told to “self-deport,” meaning they leave on their own without being publicly arrested. ImmigrationOS also connects data from various sources, allowing agents to keep an eye on potential visa violators and make arrests more quickly when needed.
Arrests Get Faster — And Scarier
This deal builds on Palantir’s long-standing relationship with ICE, which started back in 2014. Over the years, Palantir has helped ICE improve its operations, and with this new contract, the surveillance tools are becoming even more powerful. While the company claims that its technology is meant to help find dangerous criminals, reports show that it is also being used to arrest people with no criminal records — including students at top universities.
Recently, some students with valid paperwork were arrested by ICE agents in plain clothes, right outside their homes or on the street. They were quickly moved to detention centers in parts of the country where judges are known to rule more harshly against immigrants. In addition, about a thousand students have received emails saying their visas have been canceled, sometimes for reasons as minor as old parking tickets.
ICE’s current strategy, supported by Palantir’s new tools, is focused on reaching the White House’s goal of removing one million people from the US this year. That means keeping tabs on anyone who might have overstayed their visa or broken small rules, so that when it’s time for an arrest, everything can happen smoothly and quickly.
Palantir’s Role Raises Concerns
Palantir, which has built powerful data tools for the military and law enforcement, is no stranger to controversy. Internally, even the company itself has admitted there are risks and potential failures in these operations. In leaked documents, Palantir leaders said they know there will be problems they can’t control, but they are still moving forward with the project.
The company’s close ties with government agencies have helped it grow over the years, but critics say its work with ICE is especially troubling. Many fear that these advanced surveillance systems could lead to wrongful arrests or deportations and violate the rights that everyone in the US is supposed to have — even those without citizenship.
Palantir has also been providing military technology to other countries during conflicts, which adds to its image as a company deeply involved in surveillance and warfare. While the company says its work promotes security and transparency, the growing power of its tools is raising alarms among civil rights groups and ordinary citizens alike.
The new ImmigrationOS system is expected to be delivered to ICE by the end of September, marking another step in the agency’s push to expand its reach and speed up deportations with the help of cutting-edge technology.
