For the creators and activists building tools to support immigrant communities, the stakes have just shifted. A new legal battle is underway, not just to expose government overreach, but to secure the raw data needed to defend those targeted by it. The Just Futures Law has filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to force the release of documents detailing how the agencies utilise Palantir software.
The lawsuit and the tools behind the raids
The action follows 404 Media revealing the existence of a system called ELITE in January. This disclosure was based partly on a leaked user guide for the tool. According to testimony from an ICE official, ELITE is specifically designed to identify which neighbourhoods warrant a raid.
In their complaint, filed on Thursday, Just Futures Law stated that the requested records hold “great national significance.” They argue the documents will detail how the defendants use Palantir technology to centralise, analyse, and visualise data on individuals residing in the United States. The goal, they say, is to expose how these systems identify target individuals and communities for highly publicised immigration raids.
What documents are being demanded?
Building on a prior Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the lawsuit seeks unredacted copies of specific communications and contracts. This includes:
- Communications between ICE and Palantir regarding various tools and systems, including ImmigrationOS.
- Discussions between ICE and members of DOGE concerning these systems. WIRED previously reported that DOGE was constructing a “master database” to track immigrants.
- Memorandums of agreement and similar documents between ICE, DOGE, and other agencies.
- Copies of the specific Palantir contracts.
- Training materials regarding ImmigrationOS.
- Presentations created by ICE discussing the systems.
How ELITE maps the country
As 404 Media reported, ELITE—short for Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement—populates a map with potential deportation targets. It provides ICE users with a dossier on each person and assigns a “confidence score” to that person’s current address.
Other criteria available on the map include “Bios & IDs,” “Location,” “Operations,” and “Criminality.”
To understand the tool’s function, 404 Media purchased a transcript from a case in Oregon. In the record, a deportation officer with ICE’s Fugitive Operations Unit, identified as JB, described ELITE as “basically a map of the United States. It’s kind of like Google Maps.”
JB explained that ELITE is used to track the apparent density of people in a particular location. He noted that officers are directed toward areas with high population density rather than sparse ones. “If there’s one pin at a house and the likelihood of them actually living there is like 10 percent, you’re not going to go there,” he added.
Organisations and journalists often file FOIA lawsuits to compel agencies to comply with their legal obligations to provide records in a timely manner. 404 Media recently published records from an ongoing lawsuit against ICE regarding its $2 million spyware contract.
Key takeaways
- Just Futures Law has sued ICE and DHS to obtain unredacted documents proving how Palantir systems are used to target specific communities for raids.
- The lawsuit seeks to expose communications between ICE, Palantir, and other agencies regarding tools like ELITE and ImmigrationOS.
- Testimony reveals ELITE functions as a density-mapping tool, helping officers decide where to focus enforcement efforts based on probability scores.
- Legal action is being used to bypass redactions and secure the raw data necessary for effective advocacy and defence.
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