ICE Used Palantir Technologies Inc. to Track Targets for Eight Years

Internal documents obtained by Just Futures Law reveal that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) utilized Palantir Technologies Inc. technology from 2014 to 2022 to track subjects and identify targets. Specifically, the agency's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arm deployed a custom-built application called Falcon, which allowed agents to perform blueforce tracking of teammates, scan driver's licenses, and monitor movements using cell phone tower records.

Records show the Falcon app was used during high-profile operations, including a February 2018 gang takedown in New York and a 2019 anti-human-trafficking operation during the Super Bowl in Atlanta. Palantir Technologies Inc. platforms integrated diverse datasets, such as student visa records from Sevis and digital evidence extracted via Cellebrite forensic software.

Palantir Technologies Inc. has recently expanded its relationship with the agency by securing a $30 million contract to develop ImmigrationOS. This new platform is designed to streamline identification and deportation processes across other ICE branches, including Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). A Palantir Technologies Inc. spokesperson defended the partnership, stating that the company focuses on supporting agency investigations and operations, including disrupting human trafficking networks and stopping drug trafficking cartels.