Apr 23, 2026 12:01 PM

Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys

Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.

Photograph: Celal Gunes/Getty Images

It took just a few months of President Donald Trump’s second term for Palantir employees to question their company’s commitments to civil liberties. Last fall, Palantir seemed to become the technological backbone of Trump’s immigration enforcement machinery, providing software identifying, tracking, and helping deport immigrants on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), when current and former employees started ringing the alarm.

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Makena Kelly is a senior writer at WIRED focused on the intersection of politics, power, and technology. She was previously at The Verge, CQ Roll Call, and the Lincoln Journal Star. Makena graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Send tips to makena_kelly@wired.com. ... Read More

Senior Writer, Tech and Politics

Topicspolitics Silicon Valley government Immigration and Customs Enforcement Iran Palantir Department of Homeland Security

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