A new report reveals ICE is using a Palantir tool called ELITE that pulls data from Medicaid and other government sources to identify and locate potential deportation targets. The system generates a map with dossiers and confidence scores, consolidating information across agencies for enforcement purposes.

This development confirms long-held privacy fears about government data consolidation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warned last year that pooling service data for unrelated enforcement creates a surveillance infrastructure with serious civil rights implications. The tool represents a modern version of controversial post-9/11 data-mining programs.

EFF has challenged ICE's data grabs in court, but warns litigation alone isn't enough. The case highlights growing tension between law enforcement technology and privacy rights. As ICE expands surveillance operations, the debate over data use boundaries and congressional oversight will intensify.