Much more here: 🔗 www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/05...

Axon Enterprise CEO Patrick Smith donated $25K to the Scalise Leadership Fund last year. Axon spent $1.5M on lobbying in 2024 and $510K in Q1 of 2025. It won a $5.1M contract on 3/10 to deliver body cams and equipment. A day later, it got $22K to deliver tasers for deportations.

Palantir spent $5.8M on federal lobbying in 2024. The company’s employees also made nearly $5M in campaign contributions during the 2024 elections. In April, ICE gave Palantir a $30M contract to develop software to help with deportations.

As well as air carriers. 🔗https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/05/which-air-carriers-are-positioned-to-benefit-from-increased-deportations/

We previously wrote about private prisons. 🔗https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/04/private-prison-companies-positioned-to-benefit-from-increased-deportations/

Over the past few weeks, OpenSecrets has been studying the lobbying and campaign giving histories for companies and people benefiting from the Trump administration’s increased deportation activity. Today we are looking at tech, defense and support services companies. 🧵

Universities are pouring tons of money into lobbying in 2025, not for new programs, but to fight against federal scrutiny and massive funding cuts from the Trump administration. Here’s how the landscape is shifting 🧵

As the administration continues to reshape DC, universities align with lobbyists close to Trump’s inner circle. Harvard and Michigan hired lobbyist Brian Ballard from Ballard Partners, who previously employed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

Whether adapting or complying under pressure, colleges are spending millions to stay afloat. Read the full breakdown of the lobbying surge. 🔗 www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/05...

As the Trump administration ramps up detentions and deportations, some air carriers stand to make a pretty penny from lucrative ICE contracts. Who are they? Let’s follow the money 👇🧵

Advocates, unions, and human rights groups want answers. While these contractors face little to no accountability, the millions continue to flow.

Follow the money with our full analysis here: www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/05...

📰 Congratulations to this year’s grantees of the The Ira A. Lipman Center For Journalism and Civil and Human Rights's Initiative in Reporting on Race and Criminal Justice: @capitalandmain.bsky.social, Arizona Luminaria, @indyscholtens.bsky.social, Oishika Neogi and @muckrock.com.

After serving as director of national intelligence during President Trump's first term, John Ratcliffe is back as director of the CIA. Here's what you need to know about him. www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/05...

I'm working on a series for @opensecrets.org about companies that are benefiting from ICE deportations. The first part focuses on private prison companies and was republished by @truthout.org -- give it a read!

The biggest private prison companies, GEO Group & CoreCivics, have spent millions on lobbying, and their employees and PACs have been major election donors. With the Trump admin stepping up deportations, those companies could increase revenue by billions. www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/04...

Good analysis by Indy Scholtens on @opensecrets.org: Private prison companies are pouring millions into lobbying & political donations as the Trump admin is poised to step up deportations —potentially increasing their revenue by billions. www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/04...