“Palantir Tracks, ICE Attacks”: Students March in Summit, Demand Rep. Kean Return Peter Thiel Donation and Dump Big Tech

As AI companies spend hundreds of millions to influence the midterm elections, advocates at “People Over Palantir” march pledge to talk to 100,000 voters before November to expose Rep. Tom Kean’s record on Big Tech

SUMMIT, NJ — Today, more than 100 high school students and young people marched through downtown Summit to tell Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-7) to stop taking money from AI companies and return the $7,000 donation he took from Peter Thiel, the billionaire behind Palantir.

The “People Over Palantir” march drew more than a hundred people to downtown Summit with handmade banners reading “Palantir Tracks, ICE Attacks” and “Rep Tom Kean: Dump AI and Big Tech”. Rep. Tom Kean has not only taken donations from AI companies but has personally profited from trading more than $90,000 worth of AI stocks while in office.

“We’re putting elected officials like Tom Kean on notice: If you’re not willing to fight back against AI and their data centers, you should step aside now,” said Sunni Vargas, Political Director at the New Jersey Working Families Party. 

Students spoke out about how Palantir makes billions from providing private data to ICE, while companies like Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI profit from AI that drives up the cost of electricity, uses up our drinking water, and pollutes our neighborhoods with energy-hungry data centers.

“New Jersey families pay for Big Tech three times, and we’re sick and tired of it,” said Andreina, a youth member of Make the Road Action New Jersey. “We pay for data centers through the tax credits they get, then we pay for them again when our electric bills spike, and we pay for them a third time when ICE uses our private data to terrorize our communities and separate children from their parents. We deserve representatives who are looking out for us instead of Big Tech.”

The youth-led march was organized by members of Make the Road Action New Jersey, Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), and the New Jersey Working Families Party as part of a national week of action to Dump Big Tech. AI companies have already raised more than $200 million to spend on the upcoming midterms.

“Who stands to gain from the suffering caused by AI and mass surveillance? Only the wealthiest and their bootlickers in office,” said Liam Phelan , youth organizer at the Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN). “Tom Kean Jr. does not represent the people of New Jersey. He has taken donations from massive corporations all while AI harms the livelihoods and futures of average New Jerseyans.

At the march, Make the Road Action New Jersey, Climate Revolution Action Network, and the New Jersey Working Families Party also pledged that they would reach more than 100,000 voters in NJ-7 to expose Rep. Tom Kean’s record on Big Tech.

“There’s a reason why AI companies donate to politicians like Tom Kean. They know that he’ll look the other way while they pollute our neighborhoods and profit at our expense,” said Sunni Vargas, Political Director at the New Jersey Working Families Party. “Are we going to let them get away with that? No way. That’s why we’re going to talk to 100,000 voters and expose Tom Kean’s record before November.”

Rallying outside of the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, marchers were joined by Rev. Robin Tanner and former Summit Councilman Greg Vartan.

“This is an issue that should unite voters across the political spectrum,” said Greg Vartan, former Summit Councilman and President of the Summit Democrats. “No one wants a data center in their backyard, and no one wants Big Tech and AI taking control of our government. We deserve so much more from our elected officials.”

The march in Summit was one of dozens of rallies across more than 20 states during the August congressional recess.