ICE Expands Immigrant Tracking with $30M Palantir Deal

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded Palantir Technologies a $30 million contract to enhance its capabilities in tracking immigrants, according to government records. The deal focuses on expanding ICE’s case management system with new software tools.

The contract, reviewed by Business Insider, details the implementation of the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System (ImmigrationOS). This system aims to streamline the identification and apprehension of immigrants based on ICE’s enforcement priorities, while minimizing resource expenditure.

ImmigrationOS will provide ICE with “near real-time visibility” into self-deportations and will also target individuals who have overstayed their visas. While the agency will continue to focus on “violent criminals” and those affiliated with transnational criminal organizations, the contract highlights that visa overstays are also a priority for deportation.

The $29.8 million contract is for a prototype of ImmigrationOS, expected to be delivered by September 25. ICE officials stated that this upgrade is necessary to fulfill President Trump’s executive orders, which identify illegal immigration and transnational organized crime as significant national security threats.

An ICE spokesperson clarified that this is a modification to an existing contract, extending a previous agreement from 2022 with Palantir for “operations and maintenance” support services. Palantir has been working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2014 to build its case management system.

The software is designed to gather information from multiple government databases, allowing DHS agents to maintain detailed records on potential immigration violators for future enforcement. This includes data sharing with Customs and Border Protection for tracking purposes.

Critics point out that this agreement places increased emphasis on deporting immigrants who may have violated visa conditions, which is often a civil rather than a criminal offense.

ICE documents emphasize Palantir’s long-standing relationship with the agency, stating, “Palantir has developed deep institutional knowledge of ICE operations over more than a decade of support. Their systems have been tailored to meet strict DHS security and privacy standards.”

According to 404 Media, Palantir has been working to enhance ICE’s capacity to track immigrants with final removal orders and is fast-tracking the ImmigrationOS prototype.

Source: Business Insider