Palantir shifts course to play key role in ICE deportations
Palantir, led by CEO Alex Karp—a self-proclaimed Democrat with progressive roots—has pivoted to align with Trump administration policies, securing contracts for ICE deportation tools despite past rejections of minority-targeting deals.
Karp, who once said he respected “nothing” about Trump, turned down an opportunity to meet Trump, as "it would be hard to make up someone I find less appealing," and said mass deportation drives made “no sense” for expelling hardworking people, now praises strict immigration as “the truly progressive position on immigration: one of extreme skepticism.”
It changed with Oct. 7th and Immigration OS, a $60 million ICE contract renewed in September, facilitating "selection and apprehension operations of illegal aliens" based on priorities, minimizing deportation time and resources, and tracking voluntary exits in near real-time. Procurement filings show Palantir won without bidding, cited as the "only source" for urgent needs.
Karp defended Trump's immigration crackdown, calling Palantir "completely anti-woke" and praising border control as "the truly progressive position on immigration: one of extreme skepticism." He argued uncontrolled immigration depresses working-class wages and causes social dislocation, remaining "an economic progressive" amid "self-proclaimed progressives that are anything but."
Factors include Trump's election mandating stricter borders, executive orders on diversity, and Karp's post-October 7, 2023, Israel support drawing him to Republican Neo-conservative hawks.
Palantir's federal contracts hit $128 million in September, its record; stock rose 120% in 2025 amid AI boom.
Internal concerns persist: some employees debate discontinuing if ICE violates civil liberties. Seven months in, former staff accused leadership of "normalizing authoritarianism" and "building the infrastructure of the police state." Resignations followed, like Brianna Katherine Martin in May, citing expansion to Enforcement and Removal Operations as breaching prior ethics. Palantir told Amnesty International it upholds law as a contractor, not policy-setter.
Former SVP Wendy R. Anderson said Karp's premise is "America has to win," prioritizing U.S. survival over partisanship. Biographer Michael Steinberger noted Karp's exasperation with Democrats' identity politics and border laxity, moving right while stating "the left left him."