U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) is urging the New Jersey State Investment Council to divest the $130 million in Palantir funding, citing their ongoing $30 million agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Our state’s public investments, including the retirement savings of public workers, cannot come at the expense of New Jersey’s immigrant families. As the state’s investment regulatory authority, I urge the Council to give full and fair consideration to the constitutional and safety implications of continued investment in companies like Palantir,” Menendez wrote to the council on Tuesday.

“Immigration enforcement officers have shot at least 13 people since September 2025, four of whom have died. In 2025, Palantir entered into a $30,000,000 contract with ICE to build an artificial intelligence enabled platform called Immigration Lifecycle Operating System to provide ‘near real-time visibility’ into the ‘immigration lifecycle.'”

He continued that Palantir has created additional tools for ICE to map targets locations and assembly detailed profiles of them.

New Jersey’s Common Pension Fund D has $130,000,000 worth of shares in Palantir as of the fourth quarter of 2025.

New Jersey is home to more than two million immigrants who are essential to the state’s economy, workforce, and small businesses, the congressman stressed.

“This investment ties the retirement security of our state’s public workers to immigration enforcement practices that terrorize families and violate constitutional guarantees,” Menendez concluded.

“I urge you to give full and fair consideration to concerns raised by my constituents and advocates across that the state and to ensure that Common Pension Fund D’s investment portfolio aligns with New Jersey’s values and long-standing commitment to civil liberties and immigrant rights.”

Menendez is also an original cosponsor of articles of impeachment for U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, has called for the end of ICE, and led efforts to demand that ICE agents identify themselves when conducting enforcement operations.