Hacktivists Leak DHS Contract Data

A 17MB dataset exposes 6,681 companies working with ICE, including Palantir, Anduril, and Raytheon.

State of Surveillance Editorial Team

TL;DR: On March 1, 2026, hacktivists calling themselves "Department of Peace" leaked 17MB of DHS contract data through DDoSecrets. The files name 6,681 organizations working with ICE and DHS, including Palantir, Anduril, Raytheon, Microsoft, and Oracle. The data includes award amounts, project descriptions, and contact info for government employees. The hackers said they did it because "DHS is killing us," referencing the deaths of two protesters killed by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. DHS hasn't confirmed the breach.

What's in the Data

The dataset came from the DHS Office of Industry Partnership, the unit that procures surveillance tech from private companies [1].

Here's what it contains:

  • 6,681 organizations that applied for DHS contracts
  • Contract award amounts and project descriptions
  • Full names, email addresses, and phone numbers of government contacts
  • Details on which companies won contracts and what they're working on

The surveillance industry's biggest names are all there: Palantir, Anduril, L3Harris, Raytheon. Tech giants Microsoft and Oracle appear too. So do universities, government agencies, and defense contractors you've never heard of [2].

The largest contracts by total value include $70 million to Cyber Apex Solutions (a company with a barebones website claiming to secure "critical infrastructure") and $59 million to Science Applications International Corporation for AI services [3].

Who Did This

A group calling itself "Department of Peace" claimed responsibility. They're not well-known in hacktivist circles before this.

They explained their motive in a document released alongside the data:

"I'm releasing this because the DHS is killing us and people deserve to know which companies support them and what they're working on." [2]

The reference is specific. In early 2026, federal agents killed two protesters in Minneapolis: Alex Pretti and Renée Good. The hackers cite those deaths directly.

DDoSecrets, the transparency nonprofit that published the Parler data in 2021 and Blue Leaks before that, is hosting the files. They describe themselves as "the most important and most active public library of hacked and leaked datasets in the world today" [2].

Is This Real?

DHS and ICE haven't confirmed the breach. No comment from either agency yet.

But cybersecurity researchers who reviewed the files told TechCrunch the documents look genuine. The formatting, reference numbers, and metadata match what you'd expect from federal procurement records. This stuff would be hard to fake [1].

Micah Lee, a security researcher known for his work on the Snowden documents, has already built a searchable database to explore the contracts [4].

Why This Matters

We already knew ICE uses Palantir. We already knew defense contractors profit from deportations. What this leak does is show the full ecosystem.

Think of it as the receipts. Every company that took DHS money. Every contract for surveillance tools, databases, AI systems, and border tech. Every government employee who signed off on these deals.

For researchers, journalists, and activists tracking the surveillance state, this is primary source material. Contract values. Project descriptions. Who's getting paid and for what.

For the companies named (especially smaller ones that preferred to stay anonymous), this is exposure they didn't want. A lot of firms bid on government surveillance contracts precisely because no one notices.

This Isn't Isolated

This leak follows a pattern. Earlier this year, hackers released data on hundreds of DHS, ICE, FBI, and DOJ officials. That included masked ICE agents whose identities were previously hidden [5].

Meanwhile, Congress is still waiting on answers. Rep. Shontel Brown sent DHS a letter on February 19 demanding a briefing by March 5 on ICE's use of PenLink surveillance tools that track cellphone locations across entire neighborhoods [6].

The surveillance apparatus has never been more visible. Partly because officials are expanding it aggressively. Partly because people keep leaking the details.

What You Can Do

If you're a researcher or journalist:

  • The DDoSecrets dataset is available for download via direct link, torrent, or magnet
  • Use Micah Lee's DHS Contracts Explorer to search without downloading
  • Cross-reference with public procurement databases to verify claims

If you're concerned about surveillance:

  • Look up whether your city contracts with companies in this database
  • Contact your representatives about ICE surveillance expansion
  • Support organizations like EFF, ACLU, and S.T.O.P. that fight surveillance

If your company is in this list:

  • Your employees, investors, and customers may have questions
  • Deciding what work to take is a choice. This leak makes those choices visible.

References

  1. TechCrunch - "Hacktivists claim to have hacked Homeland Security to release ICE contract data" (March 2, 2026)
  2. DDoSecrets - "ICE Contracts" (March 1, 2026)
  3. WebProNews - "Hacktivists Breach Homeland Security Systems, Exposing ICE Contract Data" (March 2026)
  4. Micah Lee - DHS Contracts Explorer (2026)
  5. 404 Media - "Hackers Dox Hundreds of DHS, ICE, FBI, and DOJ Officials" (2026)
  6. Rep. Shontel Brown - "Brown Leads Oversight Letter to DHS on ICE's Troubling Mass Surveillance Tech" (February 19, 2026)