ICE’s Rapid Hiring Surge and Palantir’s ELITE App Raise Privacy and Security Concerns

During President Donald Trump’s winter immigration-enforcement surge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) added more than 12,000 employees to its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division. The expansion coincided with the rollout of the ELITE app (Enhanced Lead Identification and Targeting), a Palantir-developed, AI-driven tool installed on every ICE officer’s government phone. ELITE aggregates dozens of government databases—addresses, criminal histories, immigration records, court rulings, and other personally identifiable information (PII)—and assigns each target a “confidence score.” Officers received the app even when their background checks were still pending.

The Intercept

Funding increases allowed ICE to double its workforce from roughly 10,000 to 22,000 officers within months. Palantir Technologies, a CIA-backed data-mining firm, secured a 2025 Department of Homeland Security contract to build ImmigrationOS and supplied ELITE for field use. Under the E-Government Act of 2002, any new system that collects, maintains, or disseminates PII must undergo a publicly released privacy impact assessment (PIA).

The Intercept

• More than 12,000 new hires were placed on the streets before background checks cleared, according to Reuters (early 2026).

Unvetted ICE Hires Tapped Palantir ELITE App Before Background Checks

• ELITE’s user guide lists a dozen distinct data sources feeding the app.

The Intercept

• ICE’s training curriculum was cut by 240 hours from a 584-hour program, eliminating classes on constitutional law, firearms, use of force, and lawful arrests.

The Hill

• Beginning July 1, ICE recruits returned to a 72-day training regimen, up from the 42-day fast-track schedule.

The Hill

Former DHS chief of staff Mary Ellen Callahan warned that “No one should have been hired by DHS before background reviews were completed.” Former ICE lawyer Ryan Schwank described the training cuts as “deficient, defective and broken.” An ICE official who served as the department’s chief privacy officer likened the situation to “1984” surveillance.

The Hill

The DHS privacy office has not released a PIA specific to ELITE. Both Palantir and DHS declined to comment when approached for comment on the app’s deployment and privacy compliance.

The Intercept

• “No one should have been hired by DHS before background reviews were completed.” — Mary Ellen Callahan

The Intercept

• “It’s one of the first applications they give new officers so they can start working,” — ICE deportation office

The Intercept

• “I know I sound crazy, but this is 1984 shit,” — former ICE chief privacy officer

The Intercept

• “For the last five months, I watched ICE dismantle the training program, cutting 240 hours of vital classes from a 584 hour program, classes that teach the Constitution, our legal system, firearms training, the use of force, lawful arrests, proper detention and the limits of officers’ authority,” — Ryan Schwank

The Hill

The DHS-mandated training extension takes effect on June 2, 2026, with the first 72-day class beginning July 1, 2026. All officers who completed the earlier fast-track program are required to attend the follow-on Advanced Field Officer Training, though the duration has not been disclosed. No further privacy impact assessment for ELITE has been published, leaving the issue of PII safeguards unresolved.

The Hill