Lawmakers Reject Palantir Donations, Citing Surveillance
Some Democrats return or redirect contributions over the data analytics firm’s immigration surveillance work.
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2026 — Some lawmakers are rejecting or redirecting campaign contributions tied to Palantir as scrutiny grows over the company’s federal surveillance contracts.
Palantir, a publicly traded U.S. company and federal contractor, develops software used by government agencies, militaries and corporations to analyze large datasets.
The backlash comes as the firm secures federal deals, including a $30 million contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to build an “Immigration Lifecycle Operating System” and a $1 billion purchasing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security.
“I am proud to be the first Bay Area member to take the pledge to refuse all future individual contributions from Palantir,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif ., said, pledging to no longer accept contributions from Palantir employees or executives. The representative has since donated roughly $49,000 in past contributions received since 2011.
Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., has also stopped accepting donations from Palantir-linked individuals following the company’s immigration-related work. His campaign said he is donating prior contributions, totaling about $51,000 from 2020 to 2025, to nonprofits supporting immigrants in Colorado.
The moves reflect concerns among some Democrats about Palantir’s role in immigration enforcement and surveillance technologies.
At the same time, Palantir continues to expand its footprint in government and international markets. The United Kingdom recently committed to purchasing more than $80 billion from U.S. technology and defense companies over the next five years, including agreements with Palantir.
Despite criticism, Palantir and its political action committee remain active in U.S. politics. Federal filings show contributions to officials on both sides of the aisle including Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, totaling $106,051 and $286,801 respectively.
Palantir employee-backed political action committees have also supported executive officials, including Jacob Helberg, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs.
Member discussion