America is being lectured by the same elites who outsource the hard work of law enforcement while demanding our agents be defunded. After two people were killed in Minneapolis during operations by federal agents, protests erupted and Democrats began threatening to block Department of Homeland Security funding — a dangerous political stunt that risks public safety and rewards chaos. The uproar has also put a brighter spotlight on the hundreds of private-sector contracts that keep ICE and DHS operational.
Make no mistake: these contracts are the plumbing of public safety. Forbes reports that major firms like Palantir, AT&T and Deloitte hold some of the largest awards — Palantir’s 2022 contract clocked in at roughly $139.3 million, AT&T’s network and IT support is valued at about $90.7 million with potential extensions, and Deloitte has taken on multiyear data modernization work. These are not frivolous line items; they are critical services that enable investigations, secure communications, and data management that protect Americans.
Palantir has caught the attention of activists for good reason, but conservatives should remember that technology that helps law enforcement do its job responsibly is a public good. Beyond the 2022 award, Palantir has continued work on ICE systems, including a roughly $30 million effort to enhance immigration tracking tools that streamline case management and deportation workflows. Left-wing outrage and employee walkouts are predictable, but abandoning tools that help enforce immigration laws would be reckless in the face of real security threats.
Meanwhile, the political theater in Washington is escalating into real-world risks. Senate Democrats have signaled they may block DHS funding in reaction to the Minneapolis incidents, with prominent lawmakers publicly refusing to back the bill unless enforcement actions are curtailed. This brinkmanship could precipitate a government funding crisis and leave essential services — from border security to counterterrorism — dangerously under-resourced.
It’s worth noting the breadth of the private sector’s role: from AT&T’s infrastructure work to Dell’s software licensing support and Motorola Solutions’ tactical communications, a wide swath of reputable companies supply DHS with mission-critical capabilities. Fortune and other outlets have cataloged these relationships, showing how dependent federal operations are on private contractors for everything from delivery services to modem equipment and advanced analytics. Attacking these firms or pushing them to sever lawful contracts under activist pressure is not only bad policy; it’s bad for national security and bad for American workers.
Patriots who love law and order should demand two things at once: full accountability when federal overreach or misconduct occurs, and a refusal to surrender the tools and funding that keep our country safe. Politicians who threaten DHS funding in the wake of tragedy are playing with fire, and corporate executives who cave to mob pressure put commerce and national security on the chopping block. Stand with principled enforcement, transparency, and the companies that help our government function — not with the chaos merchants who would strip our defenses away.
