ICE Says It Uses AI From Palantir, OpenAI; Meta’s Humanoid Robot Training Plan

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday released a new database describing its use of artificial intelligence last year, including how Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency within DHS, relied on technology from Palantir and OpenAI.

ICE has been a flashpoint around the country after government agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis, and after other deaths of people in ICE custody. Hundreds of tech workers have asked their companies to cut ties with the agency. CEOs including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Apple’s Tim Cook have reportedly spoken with President Trump about ICE’s activities, though they and other CEOs have generally been muted in their public statements about the matter. No companies are known to have canceled contracts with ICE. 

The database focuses solely on DHS use of AI, meaning non-AI work isn’t included.  

Palantir, which sells software for organizations to analyze large amounts of data spread across different databases, has an especially close relationship with ICE, according to the DHS disclosure. ICE used AI tools from Palantir to extract addresses from documents for leads for “Enforcement and Removal Operations” officers. Palantir also provided “AI-Enhanced ICE Tip Processing” for “urgent case categories,” including reviewing and categorizing incoming tips and translating them into English. (ICE’s website says it can receive tips about suspected criminal activity through an online form or by phone.)