USA Today journalists protest new data partnership with Palantir

Journalists from over 30 newsrooms, including unionized staff at the Asbury Park Press and The Record, have issued a joint letter protesting a new data monetization partnership between USA Today Co. and the software firm Palantir.

Critics argue the deal threatens to undermine public trust, particularly in communities sensitive to immigration enforcement. This concern is heightened in areas near the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, where local journalists have documented human rights concerns. The partnership aims to help the newspaper chain monitor and monetize reader data.

In related local activity, residents and activists in Maplewood and South Orange held protests following increased U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the area. Organizers and local religious leaders expressed support for families visiting detainees at Delaney Hall, seeking to address the impact of heightened enforcement surges.