New York Times May 30, 2025

The Trump administration has expanded Palantir’s work with the government, spreading the company’s technology — which could easily merge data on Americans — throughout agencies.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the federal government to share data across agencies, raising questions over whether he might compile a master list of personal information on Americans that could give him untold surveillance power.

Mr. Trump has not publicly talked about the effort since. But behind the scenes, officials have quietly put technological building blocks into place to enable his plan. In particular, they have turned to one company: Palantir, the data analysis and technology firm.

The Trump administration has expanded Palantir’s work across the federal government in recent months. The company has received more than $113 million in federal government spending since Mr. Trump took office, according to public records, including additional funds from existing contracts as well as new contracts with the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. (This does not include a $795 million contract that the Department of Defense awarded the company last week, which has not been spent.)

Representatives of Palantir are also speaking to at least two other agencies — the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service — about buying its technology, according to six government officials and Palantir employees with knowledge of the discussions.

A new lawsuit filed Thursday says the U.S. Department of Agriculture's demand for sensitive data about millions of food assistance recipients violates federal privacy laws. Meanwhile some states are preparing to comply with the unprecedented request which could be used to achieve Trump administration priorities, such as immigration enforcement.

In new guidance issued earlier this month, the USDA told states they must turn over data to the agency, through their third-party payment processors, "including but not limited to" names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of all applicants and recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, going back more than five years. More than 40 million people rely on the assistance each month.

The guidance warns failure to make the data available "may trigger noncompliance procedures," which can mean legal action and withholding funds.

A rich lawyer was driving along in his stretch limo when he saw a humble man eating grass by the roadside.

Ordering his chauffeur to stop, he wound down the window and called to the man: “Why are you eating grass?”

“Because, sir,” he replied, “we don’t have enough money for proper food.”

“Come with me, then,” said the lawyer.

“But sir, I have a wife and seven children.”

“That’s okay. Bring them all along.”

The man and his family climbed gratefully into the limo.

“Sir, you are too kind. How can I ever thank you for taking all of us with you, offering a new home to total strangers?”

“No, you don’t understand,” said the lawyer. “The grass at my mansion is two feet high.