More than 100 high school students and young people marched through downtown Summit on Aug. 13 demanding Rep. Tom Kean Jr. return a $7,000 donation tied to Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel.

The "People Over Palantir" march drew young people carrying handmade banners reading "Palantir Tracks, ICE Attacks" and "Rep Tom Kean: Dump AI and Big Tech," Union News Daily reported. Marchers rallied outside the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit.

Organizers also demanded Kean divest from AI stocks. Gothamist reported the second-term congressman has profited from trading more than $90,000 worth of AI stocks while in office.

Kean's congressional office has said his personal finances are managed by investment professionals and that he does not personally "direct, influence or participate in any stock and investment trading activity whatsoever," according to NOTUS. No response from Kean's office regarding the march or the donation demand appears in public statements as of publication.

Three groups organized the march: Make the Road Action New Jersey, Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN) and the New Jersey Working Families Party. The Summit event was one of dozens of rallies across more than 20 states during the August congressional recess, part of a national "Dump Big Tech" week of action.

Speakers included former Summit Councilman Greg Vartan, president of the Summit Democrats, and the Rev. Robin Tanner.

"This is an issue that should unite voters across the political spectrum," Vartan said. "No one wants a data center in their backyard, and no one wants Big Tech and AI taking control of our government."

Sunni Vargas, political director at the New Jersey Working Families Party, said the coalition plans to reach more than 100,000 voters in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District to expose Kean's record before November. The groups have not announced specific canvassing dates.

Speakers cited Palantir's role in immigration enforcement. NPR reported on July 17 that after Medicaid officials improperly shared data about millions of people with immigration officials, ICE then shared that data with Palantir. The company operates an app called ELITE used by ICE agents to locate noncitizens who may be subject to deportation.

The stakes are high. The Cook Political Report rates the NJ-7 race a "toss-up" heading into November.