Tech Workers Take a Stand Against ICE: “We Can’t Let This Continue”
In a bold move, over 450 tech employees from companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI, Amazon, and Salesforce have come together to urge their CEOs to speak out against the brutal tactics of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The open letter, published on IceOut.Tech, is a powerful condemnation of the federal agency’s actions in cities across the country.
The letter highlights the intense federal immigration operation currently underway in Minneapolis, which has been marked by confrontations between federal agents and neighborhood members protesting the raids. Law enforcement has deployed crowd control techniques including pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, and sound cannons. The tech workers are calling on their CEOs to cancel all contracts with ICE, citing the agency’s brutal tactics and the need for the tech industry to stand up against government overreach. They also urge CEOs to speak out publicly against the Trump administration’s enforcement policies.
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, has described ICE’s tactics as “horrible for the people,” while Google DeepMind’s chief scientist Jeff Dean has called for “every single person, regardless of political affiliation” to denounce the escalation of violence. However, many tech leaders have largely stayed silent about opposition to the Trump administration’s directives. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg all attended President Trump’s inauguration and donated to the inauguration fund, but have not spoken out publicly about the ramping up of ICE raids.
The letter concludes with a powerful plea: “This cannot continue. We know the tech industry can make a difference. When Trump threatened to send the National Guard to San Francisco in October, tech business leaders called the White House. It worked: Trump backed down.”
So, will these tech workers’ demands be heard? Only time will tell. One thing is clear, however: the tech industry has a responsibility to stand up against government overreach and protect the rights of its employees and the public.
What do you think? Should the tech industry take a stand against ICE’s tactics? Let me know in the comments!
