Palantir Defends Work with ICE Amid Growing Frustration from Employees Over Minneapolis Nurse's Killing.
The company, which provides software and data analytics services to the US government, has been working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on various projects in recent years. This work includes a $30 million contract for a platform called ImmigrationOS, which gives ICE "near real-time visibility" into people who self-deport.
Following the killing of Minneapolis nurse Alex Preti by federal agents, Palantir employees have expressed growing frustration with their company's relationship with ICE. Many workers questioned whether the company should continue working with ICE, citing concerns about ethics and business logic.
In response to employee inquiries, Courtney Bowman, Palantir's global director of privacy and civil liberties engineering, linked out to an internal wiki detailing the company's work on federal immigration enforcement projects. The wiki argues that Palantir's technology can help mitigate risks while enabling targeted outcomes, but also acknowledges the reputational risk associated with supporting immigration enforcement operations.
Some employees have expressed concerns about the capabilities of Palantir's products and services being used beyond the scope of the company's contracts. They fear that ICE could build its own workflows using Palantir's software to surveil migrants and citizens alike.
Palantir has not responded to requests for comment on whether its software powers a database referenced in a video showing an ICE agent scanning a legal observer's car.
The company has secured over $900 million in federal contracts under President Donald Trump, who used allegations of fraud to justify increased ICE presence in cities like Minneapolis.
The company, which provides software and data analytics services to the US government, has been working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on various projects in recent years. This work includes a $30 million contract for a platform called ImmigrationOS, which gives ICE "near real-time visibility" into people who self-deport.
Following the killing of Minneapolis nurse Alex Preti by federal agents, Palantir employees have expressed growing frustration with their company's relationship with ICE. Many workers questioned whether the company should continue working with ICE, citing concerns about ethics and business logic.
In response to employee inquiries, Courtney Bowman, Palantir's global director of privacy and civil liberties engineering, linked out to an internal wiki detailing the company's work on federal immigration enforcement projects. The wiki argues that Palantir's technology can help mitigate risks while enabling targeted outcomes, but also acknowledges the reputational risk associated with supporting immigration enforcement operations.
Some employees have expressed concerns about the capabilities of Palantir's products and services being used beyond the scope of the company's contracts. They fear that ICE could build its own workflows using Palantir's software to surveil migrants and citizens alike.
Palantir has not responded to requests for comment on whether its software powers a database referenced in a video showing an ICE agent scanning a legal observer's car.
The company has secured over $900 million in federal contracts under President Donald Trump, who used allegations of fraud to justify increased ICE presence in cities like Minneapolis.