For years, whispers surrounded the relationship between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Palantir, the multibillion-dollar data analytics company co-founded by Peter Thiel. But now, thanks to newly revealed Palantir ICE documents, the curtain has finally been pulled back — and what’s inside is both eye-opening and unsettling.

Emails, training manuals, and internal reports expose just how closely Palantir’s software has been woven into ICE’s daily operations, from field apps to massive data searches across millions of records. If you’ve ever wondered how much information the government can access about individuals — from phone records to social media activity — these documents paint a striking picture.

How the Palantir–ICE Partnership Grew

A Decade of Data Integration

• Palantir has worked with the Department of Homeland Security since 2012.
• ICE’s investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), leaned heavily on Palantir products between 2014 and 2022.
• During this time, Palantir developed platforms like Falcon and Investigative Case Management (ICM) that became central to ICE operations.

The Role of Falcon

Falcon wasn’t just another back-office system. It was a mobile and desktop app that allowed ICE agents in the field to:

• Track people’s GPS locations in real time.
• Scan driver’s licenses and instantly cross-check against databases.
• Communicate with team members during live enforcement actions.
• Upload and analyze confiscated data from mobile phones.

When ICE geared up for a major anti-human trafficking operation at the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, Palantir even sent staff to train agents on Falcon’s features. One ICE special agent described Falcon Mobile as “game-changing” for its ease of use in high-pressure environments.

What the Documents Reveal

A Vast Network of Data

According to the documents, ICE agents could use Palantir’s platforms to search across:

• The Enforcement Integrated Database (EID) containing biometric and personal info.
• Student visa records (nearly 5 million entries at the time).
• Travel records from the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS).
• Even subscription services like Thomson Reuters Clear.

Collaboration with Other Agencies

The leaked papers showed ICE could fulfill requests from partner agencies by cross-referencing individuals against Palantir-linked databases. In one 2020 case, ICE checked if a target had boarded an international flight at the request of another federal unit.

Experts Raise Concerns

Digital rights advocates have long warned about Palantir’s role in government surveillance.

“Palantir is the corporate backbone of ICE that the agency is relying on for surveillance and deportations,” said Hannah Lucal of Just Futures Law.

Others worry that as ICE gains more access to federal data — including IRS records and facial recognition tech from Clearview AI — the scope of these tools will only expand.

Why This Matters

Whether you agree with aggressive immigration enforcement or not, the leaked Palantir ICE documents raise crucial questions:

• How much data should the government be allowed to collect on individuals?
• What role should private tech companies play in deportation strategies?
• How transparent should these contracts be, especially when billions of taxpayer dollars are involved?