Rep. Goldman Rallies With Immigration Advocates Against Palantir’s Mass Surveillance Practices
Follows Rep. Goldman demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security about use of Palantir software for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations
Assets HERE
New York, N.Y. - Today, U.S. Representative Dan Goldman led a rally outside Palantir’s New York City office to protest the surveillance company’s role in President Trump’s immigration crackdown. He was joined by leading immigration groups and advocates — including New York Immigration Coalition, New Sanctuary Coalition, Make the Road New York, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), and UnLocal.
The rally follows Rep. Goldman demanding that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security provide answers about its use of Palantir-developed software in its Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, including any usage of facial recognition tools during immigration enforcement operations and any data being collected about individuals peacefully observing, documenting, or protesting immigration enforcement.
“Over the past year, the Trump administration has weaponized Palantir’s surveillance technologies to not only carry out its inhumane mass deportation dragnet but also to spy on American citizens,” said Rep. Goldman. “Despite my direct requests, DHS and ICE have refused to provide transparency about how they are using these tools and what information they are collecting about American citizens. But I won’t stop demanding answers until we get them from big corporations like Palantir that are profiting off of Trump’s cruel mass deportation agenda.”
"New Yorkers and all Americans deserve to know whether their sensitive information is being captured by a mass surveillance apparatus and how it’s being used by their own government amid a widespread immigration crackdown,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “I applaud the critical work of Rep. Goldman, Rep. Velázquez and dozens of their colleagues in demanding answers and exposing the Department of Homeland Security’s potential deception of the American people."
“At Unlocal, we represent immigrants fighting for their rights and their dignity. Palantir’s surveillance technology is a weapon against the very people we serve. When ICE has real-time access to aggregated data across government systems, it doesn’t just enable deportations, it destroys the trust our clients need to come forward, to seek legal help, to live without fear. We cannot build a just legal system on a foundation of mass surveillance,” said Tania Mattos, Executive Director, UnLocal.
“Palantir’s tech helps ICE track, kidnap and deport immigrant New Yorkers. As ICE tears apart families across New York State and the country, it is unclear exactly how the Trump administration is using this technology. Across the country, everyday people responding to ICE violence are being surveilled and intimidated – sending a chilling message to people exercising their First Amendment rights and looking out for their neighbors. Public institutions in New York like NYC Health + Hospitals have reportedly entered into contracts with Palantir. As Palantir fuels these bad actions, it is imperative that all levels of government provide full transparency of how it is using this technology,” said Lovelie Tejada, Chief of Staff, New York Immigration Coalition.
"As civil legal advocates and New Yorkers, we should all be concerned that the federal government is weaponizing Palantir against immigrant New Yorkers and increasing the surveillance state to target everyone, citizens too," said Benjamin Remy, Coordinating Senior Attorney in the Immigrant Protection Unit at New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). "Palantir's shadow tech is deeply unaccountable to oversight and should concern everyone who believes in a right to privacy, but moreover, the federal government using this tech to hunt people and deport them erodes trust in due process and signals huge government overreach."
###