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ICE Gave New Hires Access to Restricted Info on Palantir App Before They Passed Background Checks
United States🏛️ PoliticsCenter9/3/2026

ICE Gave New Hires Access to Restricted Info on Palantir App Before They Passed Background Checks

The Intercept reports that during a surge in ICE staffing under President Trump, new hires gained access to the ELITE app, a controversial AI-powered tool used for identifying and targeting immigrants, before completing background checks. Created by Palantir, ELITE provides 'confidence scores' and location data based on government and external sources. The rapid hiring expansion, which added over 12,000 employees, was accompanied by reduced training and expedited vetting processes. Whistleblowers, former officials, and legal experts warn that this practice poses risks to civil liberties and national security, as unvetted personnel could misuse sensitive data. Despite concerns, the app remains standard issue for all ICE deportation officers, with no formal privacy assessment conducted.

ICE says it now has enough body cameras. And, Congress averts shutdown before midterms Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it has acquired sufficient body cameras to outfit all its agents. Meanwhile, Congress passed a funding bill to keep the government operational, preventing a potential shutdown ahead of the midterm elections. The announcement from ICE follows a period of rapid expansion within the agency. During the peak of former President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, ICE significantly increased its workforce, adding over 12,000 employees through an accelerated hiring initiative. This surge included new hires who received badges and firearms before completing their background checks, according to reports from earlier this year. The hiring increase coincided with the introduction of the ELITE app, an AI-powered tool developed by Palantir. Designed to assist ICE officers in identifying and targeting individuals for deportation, the app compiles detailed profiles based on data from multiple government sources. It assigns confidence scores to potential targets and provides location-based insights. Despite the expanded workforce, many new hires lacked completed background checks. Some officers, who requested anonymity, described being given access to the ELITE app without proper vetting. “Some of these guys should’ve never been hired, let alone have access to the information on ELITE,” one officer told The Intercept. The ELITE app operates on devices issued to all ICE deportation officers. It pulls data from numerous sources, including personal identifiers and criminal records, which the government classifies as personally identifiable information (PII). A 2002 law requires agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments for technologies handling PII, yet no such evaluation was conducted for ELITE. Legal experts and former officials expressed concerns about the lack of oversight. Mary Ellen Callahan, a former Homeland Security official, noted that the hiring practices deviated from past norms. “This never happened in previous administrations,” she said. As the situation unfolds, ongoing scrutiny will focus on whether the agency adheres to established protocols and ensures the protection of individual rights.

How this report was made. Objective News wrote this report from 2 source articles, using AI-assisted synthesis under our methodology. It is our own text, not a copy of any single outlet. Read our methodology.

Responsible editor: Matej BašaSpotted an error? Report it

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2 reports

The Intercept logoThe InterceptIndependentProgressiveFactual 75Objective 609/3/2026
ICE Gave New Hires Access to Restricted Info on Palantir App Before They Passed Background Checks

The Intercept reports that during a surge in ICE staffing under President Trump, new hires gained access to the ELITE app, a controversial AI-powered tool used for identifying and targeting immigrants, before completing background checks. Created by Palantir, ELITE provides 'confidence scores' and location data based on government and external sources. The rapid hiring expansion, which added over 12,000 employees, was accompanied by reduced training and expedited vetting processes. Whistleblowers, former officials, and legal experts warn that this practice poses risks to civil liberties and national security, as unvetted personnel could misuse sensitive data. Despite concerns, the app remains standard issue for all ICE deportation officers, with no formal privacy assessment conducted.

Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the issue as a systemic failure in oversight and accountability within ICE, highlighting risks to civil liberties and national security. It emphasizes the dangers of rushed hiring practices and lack of transparency around the ELITE app, aligning with progressive critiques of移民政策和法

Why factuality (75): The article references the primary source document regarding ICE's hiring surge, mentioning the 12,000 new hires and the expedited training. However, it does not confirm the exact numbers from the primary source and introduces additional claims about restricted info access on the Palantir app, which

Why objectivity (60): The tone is critical of ICE's practices, suggesting potential civil liberties violations and national security risks. The article frames the situation negatively without presenting counterpoints or official responses, indicating a biased perspective.

The Washington Times logoThe Washington TimesParty-alignedConservativeFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 609/2/2026
Maryland invokes 9/11 in fight against state sanctuary law

Maryland's Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, who leads 17 out of 24 counties in opposing the state's sanctuary policies, testified before Congress that lawmakers in Annapolis have overlooked the lessons of September 11, as the United States marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Gahler's remarks highlight concerns over immigration enforcement and the potential risks associated with sanctuary laws, which allow local jurisdictions to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Bias read (Conservative): The article frames the opposition to sanctuary laws through the lens of national security and historical context related to 9/11, emphasizing concerns about border control and law enforcement priorities. This framing aligns with conservative perspectives that prioritize immigration enforcement and a

Why factuality: no official source document/info detected

Why objectivity (60): The article frames the issue through the lens of national security and historical memory, using emotionally charged language such as 'forgotten the lessons of 9/11' which implies a moral failing on the part of lawmakers. This suggests a political bias toward portraying sanctuary policies as incompat

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