Milwaukee Wastewater Contract Bidder Jacobs Linked to Data Company Assisting ICE
Jacobs Solutions, a Dallas-based company, is one of the two finalists competing for a $700 million contract to operate Milwaukee's wastewater treatment system. The other contender is Veolia North America, the current operator. Jacobs has a strategic partnership with Palantir, a data company known for assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in tracking undocumented immigrants. This partnership has raised concerns among advocacy groups about potential data sharing. However, Kevin Shafer, the executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), assured that no private information would be shared, as the data involved is public. Jacobs emphasizes its commitment to data protection, stating that any client data accessed is governed by strict security protocols. Meanwhile, Veolia faces scrutiny over past management decisions, including a controversial chemical switch in 2017 that allegedly reduced treatment capacity. 
