Florida Grants Millions to Peregrine Technologies for AI Software

The Government of Florida is expanding artificial intelligence capabilities for law enforcement and immigration enforcement through a series of contracts with Peregrine Technologies, a San Francisco-based firm. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement entered an agreement to use the company's data-integration platform, with approximately $6 million in state budget funds earmarked for the technology. Additionally, the state's Immigration and Enforcement Board distributed over $16 million in grants to more than two dozen local agencies, including the Miami-Dade and Osceola sheriff's offices, specifically to purchase the software.

The platform consolidates existing agency records, including license plate images and body camera footage, into a single system. This funding is partially drawn from a $250 million legislative trust fund intended to support a state mandate to assist the federal government with immigrant deportations.

Civil rights advocates and government watchdogs have raised concerns regarding privacy risks and potential conflicts of interest. Critics point to close ties between Peregrine executives and lobbyists and Governor Ron DeSantis, as well as financial contributions made by the company to political committees linked to Florida leadership. Peregrine Technologies has denied that its product is a surveillance platform, asserting that it merely unifies existing data for authorized personnel.