On Jan. 26, 2026, Forbes exposed a list of major contractors — led by Palantir, AT&T and Deloitte — that hold the largest contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as Democrats publicly consider blocking Department of Homeland Security funding in the wake of deadly clashes in Minneapolis. The story makes clear this is not just policy theater: these are real contracts worth real money that support law enforcement operations Americans depend on. Washington’s rush to politicize homeland security risks handing the mob more leverage over essential government functions.
Forbes reports Palantir’s award dates back to 2022 for investigative case management and enhancements, and that AT&T and Deloitte also received sizable multiyear deals to provide IT, network support and data modernization for ICE. Those contract figures — including Palantir’s headline award and AT&T’s multi-decade potential extension — show private firms are deeply entwined with federal enforcement work. This isn’t corporate charity; it’s government outsourcing of mission-critical capabilities.
The push to defund or delay DHS comes amid protests after the deaths of two people shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, and Senate Democrats have openly discussed blocking DHS funding as leverage. Forbes notes the possibility of a shutdown and the political calculation being made by partisan lawmakers who would rather kneel to protesters than defend border security and federal authority. If you strip away the headlines, this is a fight over whether Washington will prioritize law and order or soothe an angry crowd.
Meanwhile, the tech angle must not be ignored: reporting shows Palantir is also tied to projects like ImmigrationOS that boost ICE’s ability to track and prioritize immigration enforcement — work critics call invasive and defenders call indispensable. Those programs, including recent contracts reported by Wired and accounts of Palantir’s evolving role, are exactly the sort of tools that make modern policing and national-security work possible. Conservatives should not cede the narrative that surveillance and data tools are inherently evil; they are instruments that must be wielded lawfully to keep Americans safe.
Corporate America is feeling pressure from a vocal fringe within the tech sector to cancel contracts at the first sign of controversy, and history shows firms like McKinsey cut ties after internal and public outcry. That trend — employees and activists demanding companies abandon legal contracts with the federal government — is a dangerous precedent that hands woke mobs the power to cripple critical services. Businesses exist to serve customers and follow the law, not to act as the moral commissars of left-wing protest movements.
This is not a niche issue: other contractors such as Motorola Solutions, Dell Federal Systems, General Dynamics and L3Harris provide communications, software licenses, background checks and forensic tools vital to ICE’s mission. Cutting those ties on political grounds would create capability gaps that adversaries and criminal networks would happily exploit. Forbes and Fortune reporting on these awards underline that a broad industrial base supports homeland security — and it isn’t replaceable in a legislative tantrum.
Patriots should demand accountability, transparency and proper oversight from Congress, not performative defunding that jeopardizes national security. If there are abuses or illegal actions by federal agents, they must be investigated and prosecuted under the law; but the answer to missteps is lawful reform, not defunding the agencies charged with protecting our borders and communities. Treasonous cowardice in the face of civic unrest is a gift to criminals and hostile states, and lawmakers should stop playing political games with public safety.
Hardworking Americans want secure borders, functioning courts and accountable law enforcement, not virtue signaling from Capitol Hill or corporate capitulation to unruly mobs. Legislators who threaten DHS funding should remember their oath to defend the republic and stop treating national security as a bargaining chip. The American people deserve leaders who will protect them, hold bad actors accountable, and ensure the tools and partnerships necessary to do so remain intact.
