The tech industry is buzzing with activity as over 800 Google employees have signed a petition urging the company to cease all contracts with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border control agencies. This collective action demands transparency regarding how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) utilizes Google’s products and services, while also emphasizing the need for safeguarding vulnerable employees.
Employee Demands and Company Response
In light of the ongoing immigration policies under President Donald Trump’s administration, the group of Googlers has expressed their concerns. The petition states, “We are Google workers appalled by the violence inflicted by United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs & Border Protection (CBP).” Moreover, the employees are calling for the disclosure of all partnerships with DHS, CBP, and ICE, stressing it as a leadership’s ethical duty to divest from these collaborations.
The petition outlines four specific demands from Google executives: recognition of the threats faced by U.S.-based workers, a Q&A session about government and military contracts, protection for all Google employees, and transparency about the use of Google products by DHS agencies.
A Google spokesperson informed Business Insider that the DHS only utilizes basic cloud infrastructure services, which are available to any customer.
Organizational Support and Past Actions
This petition was organized by No Tech for Apartheid, an advocacy group led by employees from Google and Amazon. The initiative quickly gained traction, collecting more than 800 signatures in less than 48 hours, with nearly 30% of signatories being Google Cloud employees.
No Tech for Apartheid had previously orchestrated an in-office protest against a $1.2 billion contract involving Google and Amazon, which provided services to the Israeli government. The protest led to the termination of over two dozen Alphabet employees for violating company policies by obstructing other employees’ work.
Broader Context and Industry Reactions
This petition emerges amid broader actions against ICE, including a nationwide strike on January 31, following controversial shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis. Additionally, there is growing support for a boycott of Big Tech to draw the attention of executives close to the Trump administration.
The tech industry at large is not silent, as evidenced by another petition titled “Tech demands ICE out of our cities,” which has garnered over 250 signatures from employees at companies like Amazon, Spotify, Oracle, Apple, and PayPal, calling for the abolition of ICE and an end to corporate ties with the agency.
