Congress increases pressure on Department of Homeland Security over Palantir’s role in immigration crackdown

Thirty-four members Congress requires the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide detailed information about how the tools are used Developed by Palantir And “a group of surveillance companies” fuel Trump’s continuity Immigration campaignaccording to a message shared exclusively with WIRED.

Lawmakers on Thursday sent the letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Secretary Todd Lyons. It illustrates the significant concerns they have about how DHS uses software developed by Palantir, as well Face recognition From Clear View Eye, Social media monitoring Tools from PenLink, cell tower simulators from L3Harris, and cell phone monitoring technology designed by Paragon Solutions.

The lawmakers claimed that the toolkit could be used to “collect, aggregate and analyze large amounts of personal data and information,” and questioned “what safeguards exist, if any, to prevent the misuse and collection of sensitive personal information.”

“These tools contribute to a mass surveillance ecosystem that appears to operate alongside platforms developed by Palantir and ultimately support DHS enforcement operations, some of which target US citizens,” the letter said. It requires a response from ICE and DHS no later than April 24.

The letter included several specific questions about Palantir, including “government and/or commercial data and information collections, if any,” that are integrated into systems developed by the company. They also asked about an app developed by Palantir called “ELITE,” which stands for “Identify and Target Enhanced Leads for Enforcement.” The lawmakers requested a “comprehensive report” on the tool, including information about its development, its purpose, the specific categories it applies to the data, and the current number of DHS officials authorized to use it.

Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, a lead author of the letter, told WIRED he believes the second Trump administration has “weaponized” technology from Palantir in order to advance its “inhumane mass deportation agenda” as well as “surveillance of American citizens.”

“The use of these tools raises serious concerns about civil liberties and privacy, and yet DHS and ICE have so far refused to provide transparency about how they use these tools and what information they collect about American citizens,” Goldman says.

The letter’s focus on Palantir highlights how the Trump administration’s increasing reliance on the company’s technology has become increasingly politically divisive. Palantir is a significant contractor for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, both part of the Department of Homeland Security. WIRED previously reported ICE currently uses several tools developed by Palantir. In addition to ELITE, Palantir has built ICE.An essential tool for law enforcement case management“And also Immigration Lifecycle Operating System (ImmigrationOS), which immigration agents use to select deportation cases and track deported people.

Palantir’s revenue from government contracts has grown steadily since the company’s founding in 2004, and has increased during both Democratic and Republican administrations. However, since the beginning of Trump’s second term, these actions have increased dramatically. The company achieved a record number of approximately one billion US dollars in payments and commitments from government agencies in the fiscal year 2025. Almost twice As much as you earned in the previous year.

In the letter, the lawmakers also requested information about any “legal authorities” and internal policies DHS uses to determine how the data it collects and aggregates is used, or how long it is retained.

Lawmakers also questioned whether the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement “collect or retain” personal data on American citizens, Quoted from Cases in which they are US citizens Confrontation ICE and Border Patrol agents who then used facial recognition to identify citizens. The lawmakers also asked whether DHS “collected, stored, or processed information about individuals who monitor, document, or peacefully protest immigration enforcement operations,” and requested detailed information about any facial recognition tools used during immigration enforcement.

Democratic Representative John Garamendi, who signed the letter, told WIRED that Congress “has a duty” to strictly oversee any potential illegal surveillance of Americans. “As out-of-control ICE terrorizes communities and attacks American citizens, it is increasingly clear that this alarming new reality demands action,” says Garamendi.