Deportation Via "ImmigrationOS": Trump's Administration Creating Migrant Tracking Software and Mega-Database
Trump authorities develop an immigrant-focused software system and large-scale database
Are we heading towards the biggest mass deportation in US history, as President Trump has promised? Behind the scenes, tech whizzes are working hard on a massive project. Millions of people could be tracked down, using grid searches.
The US government is taking an iron-fisted approach to immigration. IT experts from Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency," also known as Doge, are currently building a vast database. This database is set to combine data from several government agencies. Analysts say this could help the government trace migrants more easily. The target group could potentially include all individuals without US citizenship and even those with valid passports, provided they have relatives lacking citizenship.
Approximately 14 million people without legal residency are estimated to be residing in the US. Trump signed wide-ranging executive orders to target migrants and speed up mass deportations. Fear of poor treatment may have led border agents to historically report very few migrants being apprehended who are crossing into the US from Mexico outside official entry points. The Trump administration is working harder than any before it to track migrants at every step.
The technical resources for this undertaking are more advanced than ever before. The new database will be used by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to facilitate deportations, according to media reports. Information from the Social Security Administration, IRS, and Health Department will merge with ICE's data, with data from the Labor and Housing Departments possibly being added.
Last month, ICE commissioned data company Palantir to develop the software needed to use the database. The software aims to track migrant movements in near real-time as much as possible. A representative from the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest US civil rights organization, told magazine "Wired": "It's a massive dragnet that will have all kinds of consequences not only for people without papers, but also for US citizens and those here legally."
Seven Million People to be Tracked
Tax data can uncover half a lifetime. Those without legal residency who still work in the US receive an identification number from the IRS and pay taxes through it. So far, the IRS has not shared its data with other agencies. However, this has changed. The Department of Homeland Security now has access, following a court ruling that dismissed appeals from NGOs. Up to seven million non-US citizens could be tracked using tax data.
Internally, Washington has set a target of at least one million deportations during Trump's first term. Home Security Secretary Kristi Noem is trying to reach this number through another method: self-deportation. For this purpose, there is an app in which migrants can indicate that they are leaving the country. The government offers a $1,000 reward plus flight ticket coverage for those who depart.
Warning videos have been circulating online and on TV for months, with Noem issuing threats such as: "We will find you and we will deport you." Noem also visited El Salvador, where she posed with a golden $50,000 Rolex in front of shaved-headed prisoners at the high-security CECOT prison. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, conditions in the prison are inhumane. "This is what happens if you illegally enter the country," Noem said into the camera: "You will be removed and you will be prosecuted."
Software with Tracking Capabilities
Palantir's new software is meant to aid in the search. The project, nicknamed "ImmigrationOS," is set to be completed by the end of September. The contract with the tech company based in Silicon Valley is set to last until 2027. Internal discussions have evidently shown controversy over the project, with Palantir justifying its approach to its staff by stating that migrants will be treated fairly with the software. Trump's administration, so far, has not shown too much concern over this. The most well-known example is the hundreds of people who were taken to the El Salvador prison without legal due process.
The company Palantir, co-founded by influential investor Peter Thiel, plans to expand its existing software, which ICE has already been using. With this software, ICE can allegedly adhere to Trump's orders more quickly to prevent the so-called "invasion" of the USA by migrants and "protect the American people," as stated in the tender. Trump's vow to deport en masse relies heavily on this supporting software. Its key functions are reported to be:
- Priority in deportations, focusing on criminal organizations, violent criminals, and foreigners with expired visas
- Tracking the movements of migrants who choose to leave voluntarily, known as self-deportations
- Compiling all data from non-US citizens in a timeline, an "immigration lifecycle" to ensure transparency
ICE agents have the authority to decide which migrants they arrest and detain. Historically, a judge has the final say over their fate. However, the US government is currently challenging this process. Homeland Security Minister Noem hinted that habeas corpus, the right to judicial review of an arrest, may be suspended for migrants. Trump's top aide, Stephen Miller, has expressed willingness to explore this possibility.
The US government, in collaboration with tech experts from Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency," is developing an extensive database called "ImmigrationOS" to facilitate mass deportations. This database, set to be completed by the end of September, will combine data from several government agencies, including the Social Security Administration, IRS, Health Department, Labor, and Housing Departments, and will be used by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. The new software aims to track migrant movements in near real-time and could potentially impact up to seven million non-US citizens.
Political discourse and policies surrounding immigration and deportations have become increasingly prominent, with the Trump administration taking an iron-fisted approach to migration. The administration's efforts to expedite mass deportations are bolstered by the technological resources provided by "ImmigrationOS," which is intended to ensure transparency in the immigration lifecycle and prioritize deportations of criminal organizations, violent criminals, and foreigners with expired visas.
