Donald Trump's ICE Obtained 50M Voter Records as Documents Expose Proposed Palantir Data Transfer

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) obtained more than 50 million voter records ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, while newly released government documents reveal that some state election data was awaiting possible entry into Palantir's ELITE system, a tool used to identify and locate people targeted for immigration enforcement.

The disclosure has raised concerns about how ICE could use voter information, particularly after records suggested that some state election data may have been intended for Palantir's ELITE application. Whether the information was actually uploaded remains unconfirmed.

ICE Obtained 50.6 Million Voter Records

The revelations emerged from 166 pages of government documents obtained by advocacy organisation Democracy Forward through a Freedom of Information Act request.

According to the records, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division obtained 50.6 million voter-roll records from the US Department of Justice and another 26,235 records derived from US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Investigators identified 10 priority states: Texas, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Ohio.

The documents also revealed that HSI ingested another 48.4 million records that Heather Honey, a senior Homeland Security official who previously challenged the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, had obtained through what the report called 'independent sources of information.' The data was described as part of a 'strategic line of effort' for voter-fraud investigations.

Palantir ELITE Deportation App Raises Voter Concerns

One of the most controversial findings involves Palantir's ELITE application, a technology platform used by ICE to identify, prioritise and locate individuals targeted for immigration enforcement.

Internal documents reviewed by Democracy Docket indicate that ICE sought to transfer state voter-registration information into the system.

As of this summer, the agency was reportedly awaiting Palantir's involvement in entering the information. However, the records do not establish whether the transfer was completed or how many voter records, if any, ultimately entered the application. Democracy Docket reported that a source familiar with the matter said the data was not integrated into ELITE.

The potential connection between election databases and immigration enforcement technology has intensified questions about the administration's handling of sensitive voter information.

ICE Considered Undercover Voter Group Operations

The documents show that HSI considered using undercover agents to investigate nonprofit voter-registration organisations as part of efforts to identify suspected illegal registration of noncitizens. New Jersey and Pennsylvania were identified as priorities for these investigations.

In one review involving more than 40 New Jersey nonprofits, investigators reported finding 'no derogatory information.' Other records suggest HSI explored investigations involving voting machines and counties associated with the disputed 2020 election results.

The disclosures do not establish that the proposed undercover operations were carried out.

Democracy Forward Warns Over Midterm Impact

Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman condemned the findings, warning that the federal government's election-related investigations could threaten democratic participation.

'The information revealed in the documents should concern all Americans,' Perryman said.

She accused the administration of attempting to influence electoral participation rather than allowing voters to determine their representatives. Hart Wood, the organisation's senior oversight counsel, also criticised the administration's pursuit of widespread voter-fraud allegations, highlighting Honey's involvement in collecting millions of records.

Meanwhile, ICE has separately begun questioning detained immigrants about possible illegal voting. The agency maintains that it investigates credible allegations of criminal activity involving election integrity. Documented cases of noncitizen voting remain rare, despite Trump's repeated claims about widespread electoral fraud.