{ "story_id": "79a453fa631b24bc35ca7c9e58ebacae", "desk": "drm3", "revision": 2, "published_at": "2026-09-05T00:15:59.000Z", "content_hash": "a5fda2f06bdd67056f95127ac0f8336fe91493d3e3fd8a7645c065f8ba25aac4", "hash_basis": "sha256 over `headline\\ndek\\nprose`, plus `\\n` + the canonical citations JSON when any source is placed, plus `\\n#blog` for blogs", "basis": { "headline": "ICE Officers Accessed Palantir App Before Background Checks", "dek": "Thousands of new ICE officers accessed the ELITE app without cleared background checks during a hiring surge.", "prose": "Thousands of these new ICE hires were issued access to the ELITE app, a Palantir tool for targeting immigrants, before their background checks were completed. [^1]\n\nThe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency enabled the ELITE application on official phones for newly incorporated deportation agents. [^2] Callahan noted that giving newly hired ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations staff access to sensitive databases like ELITE threatens public safety by allowing non-vetted teams to access and potentially misuse data. [^3] During a hiring surge in early 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) added over 12,000 employees through an expedited hiring process that reduced training requirements. [^4]\n\nMary Ellen Callahan, former chief of staff to the deputy secretary of Homeland Security, stated that no one should have been hired by DHS before background reviews were completed. [^5] The application integrates data from approximately a dozen sources to provide sensitive information including names, addresses, immigration history, criminal records, and other personally identifiable information (PII). [^6] The Department of Homeland Security has not published a specific Privacy Impact Assessment for the ELITE application, according to experts cited in a report by The Intercept. [^7]\n\nThe ELITE application, created by Palantir Technologies, processes government data to generate trust indices and map addresses linked to potential targets. [^8] Reports indicate that some newly hired deportation agents received access to the ELITE application before completing their background verifications. 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It never makes a claim true." }