Palantir develops oversight tools for ICE software amid internal ethics row
The technology firm’s move to enhance data monitoring comes as it secures an $86 million contract extension with the US Department of Homeland Security, despite ongoing internal backlash regarding its role in immigration enforcement.
Palantir Technologies hosted a hack week in May to develop user-auditing tools for its software used by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The initiative aims to provide greater oversight of user behaviour, including alerts for concerning activity and session log searches, in response to internal employee concerns regarding the company's role in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement. The event follows a $1 billion DHS purchasing agreement and an $86 million contract extension for Palantir's ImmigrationOS and case management software through spring 2027.
Ted Mabrey, head of Palantir’s commercial business, framed the event as a constructive response to internal dissent in an email to staff in early May. He urged employees to choose engagement and innovation over what he described as cynical narratives, stating that the effort embodied the culture of the company he chose to work at. This directive came against a backdrop of internal Slack chats reviewed by WIRED, where employees questioned the ethics of the work, citing cases where individuals seeking asylum with no criminal record were rounded up.
The new tools allow organisations to monitor user behaviour, set alerts for concerning behavior such as data exfiltration, and search session logs. A team lead described the new tools as materially expanding the usability of audit logs and checkpoints, applicable not just to the DHS contract but anywhere Foundry operates in high-sensitivity environments. Some of these tools have already been deployed, with further rollouts scheduled for later in the year.
Palantir’s involvement with ICE has grown significantly, following a $30 million payment last year to build ImmigrationOS, a product providing near real-time visibility on self-deportations. The company also developed a separate tool called Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement (ELITE), which creates maps of individuals targeted for deportation. Internal backlash intensified earlier this year following the shooting and killing of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents.
On May 6, Palantir announced it had received its first full task order under the $1 billion DHS purchasing agreement, extending the ImmigrationOS pilot program into an official product through spring 2027. Public contracting records indicate DHS paid Palantir $86 million for this extension, which also covers the modernisation and operational capability of ICE’s case management software. The agreement reinforces Palantir’s position at DHS and establishes a pathway for sub-agencies, such as the US Secret Service, to work with the company.
