Tech Workers Urge CEOs to Push White House on ICE

Tech Workers Urge CEOs to Push White House to Remove ICE from U.S. Cities

More than 450 tech workers from companies including Google, Meta, OpenAI, Amazon, and Salesforce signed an open letter asking their CEOs to call the White House and demand that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withdraw from American cities. The letter, organized by IceOut.Tech, frames the federal presence as a dangerous escalation that targets immigrant communities and civic life.

"For months now, Trump has sent federal agents to our cities to criminalize us, our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family members," the letter reads. "From Minneapolis to Los Angeles to Chicago, we've seen armed and masked thugs bring reckless violence, kidnapping, terror and cruelty with no end in sight."

Why Minneapolis Became a Focal Point

Minneapolis is at the center of a large-scale federal operation that many residents and observers have described as resembling a military occupation. Federal agents have clashed with community members and protesters. Law enforcement used crowd-control measures such as pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, and sound cannons during confrontations.

The campaign of tech worker activism intensified after two high-profile shootings in Minneapolis: ICE agents shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Good three weeks ago, and Border Patrol agents later shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a Minneapolis VA hospital.

Tech Industry Response and Calls to Action

The letter argues that the tech industry can influence federal policy. It cites a prior incident when tech leaders contacted the White House after former President Trump threatened to deploy the National Guard to San Francisco; the letter says that effort succeeded in getting Trump to back down.

Signers include workers from major tech firms; many signed anonymously because they fear retribution. Organizers did not disclose their names. TechCrunch has requested more information from organizers and companies named in the letter.

• Some prominent tech figures have publicly criticized ICE tactics. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman called the operations "terrible for the people."
• Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures described enforcement as "macho ICE vigilantes running amuck."
• Google DeepMind's Jeff Dean urged everyone "regardless of political affiliation" to denounce the escalation of violence.
• OpenAI business executive James Dyett criticized the industry for being more outraged about policy like a wealth tax than about "masked ICE agents terrorizing communities."

Signal president Meredith Whittaker said masked agents were "executing people in the streets" and urged tech professionals who value freedom to act. Yet many of the most powerful leaders in tech have remained largely silent, and some have cultivated ties with the Trump White House. Executives such as Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg attended President Trump's inauguration and contributed to the inaugural fund. OpenAI president Greg Brockman and his wife Anna have also donated to causes associated with Trump.

Calls to Cancel ICE Contracts

The open letter also urges CEOs to cancel company contracts with ICE. That request could be costly: several tech firms and vendors supply critical tools and infrastructure to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

• Palantir: A major ICE partner, awarded a $30 million contract to build an AI-driven surveillance platform called "ImmigrationOS."
• Clearview AI: Reportedly signed a contract to provide facial-matching technology.
• Cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Oracle supply cloud infrastructure and IT services to DHS and ICE.

TechCrunch has contacted these companies for comment.

How the Tech Community Is Engaging

The campaign reflects a growing movement among tech workers to influence corporate policy and public safety decisions. Activities include open letters, calls for contract cancellations, public statements, and internal pressure on executives. Organizers and signers often use anonymity to avoid professional consequences.

While this story focuses on immigration enforcement and federal policing, it also intersects with broader technology debates: the ethics of surveillance, the role of AI and facial recognition in law enforcement, and corporate responsibility in supplying tools used for immigration enforcement.

How to Share Tips or Documents

TechCrunch requested tips and confidential documents related to the AI industry and government contracts. Reporters on the story include Rebecca Bellan and Russell Brandom. You can contact Rebecca Bellan at [email protected] or via Signal at @rebeccabellan.491, and Russell Brandom at [email protected] or Signal @russellbrandom.49.

Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch covering business, policy, and trends in artificial intelligence. Her reporting has appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and other outlets.

Related Topics

• Corporate ethics and government contracts
• Surveillance technology and AI in law enforcement
• Worker activism in tech
• Local protests and federal enforcement actions
• gaming news (industry reaction and community discussions often surface on the same platforms where tech workers share updates)