ICE and Palantir: US agents using health data to hunt illegal immigrants

Post by JumpCrisscross » Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 1:21 PM UTC

globalise83 wrote: post #67

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm reading this correctly, they're just straight up violating the law HHS says “under the Immigration and Nationality Act, ‘any information in any records kept by any department or agency of the government as to the identity and location of aliens in the US shall be made available to’ immigration authorities.” If that’s true, they’re following the law.

Key part of what you wrote: "as to the identity and location of aliens" - so whatever claim they have to access health information applies to aliens. The big question is: are they harvesting citizens' health records illegally as part of this effort, and if so, when do those responsible see jail time?

Post by danesparza » Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 1:22 PM UTC

petterroea wrote: post #6

Private surveillance is so much more scary than regular government surveillance because they have every incentive to invent new ways of surveilling you that they then try to sell to governments, or private actors who want to influence the world. It's like classic government surveillance but every company you interacted with and every app you use may at some point turn on you and use your data against you, just becaus…

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 1:23 PM UTC

globalise83 wrote: post #67

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm reading this correctly, they're just straight up violating the law HHS says “under the Immigration and Nationality Act, ‘any information in any records kept by any department or agency of the government as to the identity and location of aliens in the US shall be made available to’ immigration authorities.” If that’s true, they’re following the law.

Key part of what you wrote: "as to the identity and location of aliens" - so whatever claim they have to access health information applies to aliens. The big question is: are they harvesting citizens' health records illegally as part of this effort, and if so, when do those responsible see jail time?

Post by NVHacker » Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

tomaytotomato wrote: post #27

How are Palantir so effective (as this article is alluding)? From a cynical British perspective, when I think of government departments and civil servants. I think inefficiency, data siloing, politics and lack of communication between departments and also internally not communicating between teams. Not withstanding a lack of cooperating and willingness to change. Did Palantir have a political mandate, or can they jus…

Post by pc86 » Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 1:26 PM UTC

lcnPylGDnU4H9OF wrote: post #76

mothballed wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article says the data was 'surveilled' by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and HHS in the performance of Medicare/Medicaid claims, with that surveillance fed to Palentir. Palentir has certainly assisted, but the origin of the data collection here was public and then unleashed by the state to private entity.

> Palentir has certainly assisted, but the origin of the data collection here was public Yes, it's surely public information and therefore ought to be subject to the same controls as any other personal health information. It seems moot that it was given to a private company; the issue just shifts to being that the private company (apparently) does not comply with data protection laws, e.g. HIPAA.