Amnesty: Palantir and Babel Street Enable Mass Surveillance

TL;DR: Amnesty International's investigation reveals that Palantir's ImmigrationOS and Babel Street's Babel X enable "constant mass monitoring" of pro-Palestine student protesters, international students, and immigrants. The State Department's AI-driven "Catch and Revoke" initiative combines social media monitoring, visa status tracking, and automated threat assessments to identify and deport people. Amnesty says these companies should "immediately cease their work" with immigration enforcement unless they can demonstrate human rights safeguards. Palantir responded. Babel Street didn't.

What Amnesty Found

Amnesty International reviewed Department of Homeland Security public records, procurement documents, and privacy assessments. Their conclusion ^[1]:

"AI tools Babel X, provided by Babel Street, and Palantir's Immigration OS, have automated capabilities that enable constant mass monitoring, surveillance, and assessments of people, often for the purpose of targeting non-US citizens."

The investigation focused on two overlapping surveillance programs:

Immigration enforcement: targeting immigrants for deportation
"Catch and Revoke": targeting international students and visa holders for deportation based on their speech

The same tools. The same companies. Different targets.

The "Catch and Revoke" Program

The State Department's AI-driven initiative combines multiple surveillance capabilities ^[2]:

Social media monitoring: scanning posts for "concerning" content
Visa status tracking: linking social media to immigration records
Automated threat assessments: AI scoring people for deportation priority
Pattern recognition: identifying networks and associations
Sentiment analysis: evaluating the tone of posts

The program specifically targets international students who participated in pro-Palestine protests. Post something critical of U.S. policy? The AI flags it. Your visa status gets reviewed. You may get deported.

This isn't speculation. Students have already been deported under this program ^[3].

The Tools: Babel X and ImmigrationOS

Babel Street's Babel X

Babel X provides social media surveillance at scale. According to Amnesty ^[1]:

Real-time monitoring of social media posts
Data aggregation from public and private sources
Pattern recognition across platforms
Sentiment analysis of content
Network mapping of connections

When Amnesty wrote to Babel Street requesting information, they didn't respond ^[1].

Palantir's ImmigrationOS

ImmigrationOS is the backbone of ICE's targeting system. It possesses ^[1]:

Automated open-source intelligence (OSINT) capabilities
Constant monitoring of individuals
Integration with government databases (DMV, utilities, court records)
Predictive analytics for enforcement prioritization

Palantir responded to Amnesty's letter, but the response didn't address the core concerns about mass surveillance ^[4].

Who Gets Targeted

Amnesty's investigation identified multiple groups under surveillance:

Pro-Palestine Protesters

Students who participated in campus protests. Their social media is monitored for "concerning" content about the conflict.

International Students

Anyone on a student visa. Their speech is subject to review. Critical posts can trigger visa revocation.

Immigrants

Anyone in ICE's databases. ImmigrationOS creates dossiers with addresses, photos, and "confidence scores."

Visa Holders

Work visas, tourist visas: any non-citizen can be flagged by the automated systems.

The common thread: if you're not a U.S. citizen, your speech can get you deported. AI makes the process faster and more comprehensive than ever before.

The Scale of Surveillance

This isn't targeted investigation of specific threats. It's mass surveillance ^[2]:

Constant monitoring: not triggered by specific concerns
Automated assessments: AI decides who's a threat
Large scale: designed to surveil populations, not individuals
Data aggregation: combining social media with government records

A student posts about a protest. The AI flags it. Their name gets cross-referenced with visa records. Their address gets pulled from university files. Within hours, they're a deportation target.

No human reviewed the post. No human decided it was threatening. The algorithm did.

Amnesty's Demands

Amnesty International called on both companies to take immediate action ^[1]:

"Unless Palantir and Babel Street can demonstrate they can use their leverage as suppliers to improve the serious human rights consequences borne by the policies of their clients, these companies should immediately cease their work with the US administration related to immigration enforcement."

They're not asking for minor adjustments. They're saying: prove you can prevent human rights abuses, or stop enabling them.

How the Companies Responded

Amnesty wrote to both companies on July 10, 2025 ^[4]:

Babel Street: No response
Palantir: Responded July 24, 2025, but didn't address core concerns

Silence from one. Deflection from the other. Neither demonstrated they could prevent the human rights abuses Amnesty documented.

Part of a Larger Pattern

This investigation connects to broader surveillance expansion:

Palantir's ELITE app helps ICE find "target-rich areas" for raids
ICE detention hit a record 73,000 people in January 2026
$28.7 billion in ICE surveillance spending for 2026
Non-criminal arrests surged 2,500% in two weeks

The tools Amnesty investigated aren't isolated. They're the backbone of the largest immigration enforcement expansion in U.S. history.

What You Can Do

If You're a Non-Citizen

Assume your social media is monitored. Consider what you post. Use pseudonymous accounts for political speech. Consult an immigration lawyer about your specific risks.

If You're a Student

International students face heightened risk. Know your rights. Connect with campus legal resources. Document any interactions with authorities.

Support Affected Communities

Donate to legal defense funds. Volunteer with rapid response networks. Amplify the voices of those being targeted.

Demand Corporate Accountability

Pressure Palantir and Babel Street to implement human rights safeguards, or divest from immigration enforcement entirely.