Unsealed court filing suggests ICE is compiling protester dossiers in Palantir database

Newly unsealed court documents suggest that agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been compiling detailed files on individuals accused of observing or protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to a report first published by Wired.

The files reportedly contain sensitive personal details, including photographs and license plate numbers, and are stored in a database called Investigative Case Management, which was built by data analytics company Palantir.

Origin of the disclosure

The information emerged from a partially unsealed court filing connected to a January ICE operation conducted in Maine. The filing is part of an ongoing class action lawsuit, and a redacted version was made public on Friday, revealing the purported existence of the protester database.

Allegations of surveillance and intimidation

According to the lawsuit, DHS agents tracked and intimidated people who observed or protested ICE activity, in some cases driving past their homes or labeling them as a "Threat to Law Enforcement, Professional Protestor." In one instance, an agent allegedly called one of the plaintiffs on her cell phone and suggested she warn her spouse against similar future actions, claiming that people engaging in such behavior could be added to a domestic terrorism watchlist.

Reactions from both sides

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argue that the existence of such a database creates a chilling effect on protesters' First Amendment rights. A DHS spokesperson, however, told Wired that the lawsuit is "meritless" and denied that any database exists that labels or tracks "domestic terrorists."