ImmigrationOS: Inside Trump’s New AI Machine Driving Mass Deportations

The Trump administration is dramatically escalating its use of artificial intelligence in immigration enforcement — employing it not just to monitor migrants but to actively determine who should be deported.

In an effort to turbocharge immigration crackdowns, a central priority for President Donald Trump, federal agencies are turning to AI systems capable of sifting through enormous pools of records to pinpoint potential immigration violations. Officials say the algorithms can prioritize leads, suggest next steps for agents, and automate much of the enforcement process that once required extensive human review.

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons has described the new approach with unsettling precision: “Like Prime, but with human beings,” he said at an April border security conference in Phoenix — referring to the logistical efficiency of Amazon’s delivery network.

At the core of this system is ImmigrationOS, a newly consolidated digital platform set to launch Thursday. The software combines multiple AI tools into one interface, enabling agents to plan and approve raids, log arrests, create legal paperwork, and route individuals to detention or deportation flights — all without ever leaving the dashboard.

“It doesn’t just store data — it directs what agents do with it,” said a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official familiar with the rollout.

Though various technologies have been used in past immigration efforts, the scope of this system marks a major expansion. ImmigrationOS draws not only on traditional immigration data but also on outside sources such as Suspicious Activity Reports and financial records flagged under the Bank Secrecy Act — data streams usually reserved for counterterrorism and anti–money laundering investigations. Now, those same tools are being repurposed to flag workers without documentation or individuals suspected of identity fraud.

Critics warn that turning enforcement decisions over to opaque algorithms raises profound risks. They cite potential for bias, errors, and unchecked power at a time when DHS is under direct orders from the White House to boost deportations and integrate AI across agencies while dismantling prior oversight frameworks.

“What’s happening in these new contracts represents a shift,” said Steven Hubbard, a data scientist at the American Immigration Council. “AI used to support decisions — now it’s starting to make them. That’s a dangerous line to cross.”

Under the Biden administration, DHS began releasing “AI inventories” detailing where artificial intelligence is used across federal agencies — in identity verification, fraud detection, alternatives to detention programs, and even internal chatbots. Those programs are now expanding rapidly under Trump’s directives, with help from Palantir, the data analytics giant long tied to the U.S. intelligence community.

Earlier this year, ICE awarded Palantir nearly $30 million to develop ImmigrationOS — a system designed not just to collect data, but to shape operational decisions. Critics say that puts critical judgments in the hands of proprietary software, further eroding transparency and accountability.

Palantir told CNN that its technology is meant to “enhance human decision-making rather than replace it,” and that protecting civil liberties and privacy remains a priority. DHS declined to comment.

A former senior DHS official currently serving under Trump described ImmigrationOS as a “fundamental shift in enforcement infrastructure,” explaining that it merges datasets from Treasury, the IRS, and even the Census Bureau into one integrated “observability platform.”

“You can initiate a raid, get it approved, detain and route someone to removal — all inside the same system,” the official said. “The entire enforcement lifecycle has been automated.”

That consolidation also means ICE is now deeply reliant on Palantir’s ecosystem. “We’re basically locked in,” the former official admitted. “Core systems across DHS depend on Palantir’s software to function.”

The rollout also decentralizes authority. Rather than keeping enforcement tools limited to headquarters, agents in the field will now have direct access. “The idea is to put AI in the hands of the operators,” said the official. “Let them use it however they see fit.”

Experts warn that the real danger lies not in facial recognition or surveillance cameras, but in the unseen algorithmic decisions shaping who gets targeted. “If AI becomes the foundation for enforcement actions,” Hubbard said, “oversight isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.”

John Sandweg, former acting ICE director under the Obama administration, said the question isn’t whether AI should be used — but how. “These tools can be used responsibly or recklessly,” he said. “This administration has made it clear it’s going for volume — more arrests, faster.”

Sandweg noted that ICE has always used technology, though mostly for counterterrorism and high-risk investigations. “AI can help find threats,” he said. “But you don’t need an algorithm to raid a Home Depot parking lot.”

Other former DHS officials have said the agency is now using AI to automate I-9 audits — the process of verifying employees’ legal work status — allowing auditors to flag suspicious paperwork in seconds.

For critics, that efficiency is precisely the problem. As more of immigration enforcement becomes automated, human judgment risks being sidelined entirely.

“You can’t treat AI outputs as gospel,” said one former official. “It’s fast — but it’s not human.”