ICE Processes Millions of Voter Records Using Palantir Software
The Homeland Security Investigations division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processed over 99 million voter records in a monitoring operation, according to 166 pages of internal documents obtained by the group Democracy Forward through a Freedom of Information Act request. The agency used Palantir’s ELITE software—originally designed to locate deportable non-citizens—to analyze public voter rolls across states including California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
Data Acquisition From DOJ and Independent Sources
An additional 48.4 million records came from Heather Honey, a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, utilizing unspecified independent information sources. The agency prioritized a network-based investigative approach rather than tracking individual voters, focusing primarily on organizations and facilitators.
Homeland Security Investigates Voting Irregularities in Five States
Internal documents reveal that Homeland Security Investigations and other Department of Homeland Security components focused their search for potential voting irregularities on New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Ohio. Officials reviewed dozens of non-profit groups, though many reviews yielded no evidence of wrongdoing. Agency planners also considered deploying undercover agents to infiltrate organizations suspected of facilitating illegal registration by non-citizens in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Government Defense and Legal Guidelines on Deportation
Meanwhile, Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman criticized the initiative, stating that officials want to choose their own voters rather than allow democracy to function as intended. An internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement legal guide from December 2025 established that illegal voting can trigger deportation without requiring a criminal conviction or proof that the individual knew the vote was unlawful.