Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the federal government has poured more than $22 billion into private contractors tied to his aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
A wide mix of companies, from data firms and consultants to airlines and construction companies, have benefited from this surge in spending.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) weighed in on X yesterday, highlighting the scale of the payouts.
“Corporations have raked in over $22 billion from Trump’s mass deportation machine, including: Amazon $75M, Palantir $81M, Microsoft $93M, Deloitte $100M, CSI Aviation $1.2B,” Sanders wrote.
“Companies should NOT be profiting from terrorizing our communities. Enough is enough.”
A Spending Boom After the “Big Beautiful Bill”
The spending took off after Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” became law in July.
This legislation expanded enforcement capabilities and funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to the Financial Times.
In just two quarters after the bill passed, ICE’s contract spending more than doubled, jumping from $1.5 billion to $3.7 billion.
CBP’s spending on private contractors skyrocketed sevenfold during the same time.
The biggest winner so far has been CSI Aviation, a charter flight company that arranges deportation flights for ICE.
Since Trump’s second term began, the company has received over $1.2 billion in contracts.
Fisher Sand & Gravel, led by Republican donor Tommy Fisher, received more than $6 billion from CBP to build portions of the southern border wall.
Tech and Consulting Giants Cash In
Big names in tech and consulting have also seen significant payouts:
- Palantir: $81 million from ICE
- Deloitte: Over $100 million from ICE and CBP
- Microsoft: At least $93 million, mostly through resellers like Dell Federal Systems
- Amazon: At least $75 million, also primarily through resellers
Palantir secured a $30 million contract in April to create a system for “self-deportation tracking,” and also provides tools to “streamline selection and apprehension operations of illegal aliens,” according to federal contract records.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp has defended the company’s work, saying in 2025: “I’m going to use my whole influence to make sure this country stays skeptical on migration and has a deterrent capacity. Do we really have to pretend that it’s immoral to have a border?”
Deloitte, one of the largest U.S. public-sector contractors, has received expanded funding for law enforcement analytics and ICE targeting operations.
Microsoft and Amazon declined or did not respond to requests for comment.
International and Smaller Contractors Join In
British security company G4S, known for providing detainee transport, has pulled in $68 million in ICE contracts since January 2025.
Smiths Detection, a subsidiary of London-based Smiths Group, earned over $62 million from CBP for its border screening tech.
Motorola Solutions and its resellers have taken in nearly $280 million for equipment such as radios and batteries used by ICE enforcement teams.
Worker Backlash Grows
The surge in contracts hasn’t gone unnoticed by employees in the tech sector. More than 1,000 workers, including over 100 from Google, signed an open letter calling on companies to cancel their contracts and denounce federal deportation tactics.
The deals have sparked controversy beyond corporate boardrooms. Public anger intensified after high-profile killings by federal agents in Minneapolis, prompting bipartisan scrutiny of ICE and CBP practices.
Democrats in Congress have even threatened to block funding for ICE altogether.
Bottom Line
While many of the contracts technically date back to previous administrations or cover routine operations like IT upgrades, a large share now supports Trump’s new tactics to track, detain and deport undocumented immigrants, including systems that promote so-called “self-deportation.”
For the companies involved, it’s a windfall. For critics, it’s a moral crisis.
And for employees caught in the middle, the pressure to choose between profit and principle is only growing.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Bernie Sanders” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.