Last fall, as Trump’s second term kicked off, Palantir ramped up work for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, supplying the software that pinpoints, tracks and helps deport undocumented immigrants. That shift set off alarms inside the company. Two former engineers even made “tracking Palantir’s descent into fascism” their regular greeting when they reconnected by phone. What felt like a tough but defensible job after 9/11 suddenly looked morally wrong. Palantir got its start in 2004 with seed money from the CIA’s venture arm and a cofounder in Peter Thiel. Its tools have long powered everything from corporate marketing to U.S. military targeting. Employees put up with family blowback over the Tolkien-inspired name and sensitive contracts. But now, with Palantir tools fuelling tougher immigration sweeps, a potential Iran conflict and even controversial internal memos, more staff are pushing back in meetings and Slack channels. In response, a company spokesperson reminded everyone that Palantir thrives on “fierce internal dialogue” and that its workforce spans many viewpoints. They pointed to the firm’s official line about defending America and allies, insisting there’s room for disagreement. Still, the debate over whether creating advanced surveillance and enforcement software crosses a line has become impossible to ignore.