In early February 2026, nearly 900–1,000 Google employees and contractors signed an open letter urging Google to disclose and cancel any contracts with U.S. immigration enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The petition, organized by employee activists, frames such contracts as ethically problematic amid heightened immigration enforcement and fatal shootings involving ICE agents.
Signatories say they are “vehemently opposed” to their work being used in ways they view as “surveillance, violence, and repression,” and they have called for transparency and concrete protections for vulnerable employees.
This internal pressure reflects a broader renaissance of tech-worker activism, particularly around ethical concerns about how technology developed by private companies is deployed by government agencies. Groups such as No Tech for Apartheid — originally formed around protests of other controversial contracts — often organize such petitions.
Other Companies With Similar Histories of Internal or External Protest
While the Google petition is the most newsworthy recent effort, concerns about corporate ties to ICE and DHS are not isolated to Google:
Microsoft / GitHub
- In 2018, employees at Microsoft’s GitHub protested a contract with ICE to use GitHub Enterprise Server, framing the relationship as ethically troubling. Company leadership downplayed the revenue as “not materially significant.” At least a handful of employees resigned over the dispute.
Amazon and Other Tech Firms
- Past and ongoing petitions in tech include letters signed by employees from Amazon, Spotify, Oracle, Apple, and PayPal, urging CEOs to end contracts or pressure the federal government regarding immigration policies.
Palantir
- Palantir Technologies is frequently cited (in media and advocacy discussions) as a contractor whose software has been used for immigration enforcement, including tracking operations described as “mission critical” by ICE in past reports. Palantir has defended its role, but critics argue the company’s technology aids deportations and surveillance.
International Companies Reshaping Ties to ICE
Some international firms have publicly cut ties or reconsidered business involving ICE:
- Capgemini, a French multinational, announced it would sell its U.S. government services unit after scrutiny over a potential $365 million contract with ICE to provide surveillance and “skip-tracing” services.
- Canadian companies like the Jim Pattison Group called off property transactions with ICE following public and political pressure. Hootsuite faced protests over its social media support work for ICE’s public affairs.
Corporate and Federal Spending on ICE/CBP Contracts
There is no official comprehensive public total of how much every company has received from ICE/CBP, but various media reporting and advocacy research paint a picture of billions in government spending tied to immigration enforcement:
Tech and Consulting
- Industry tracker summaries and financial analyses (reported on social media platforms and in discussions of fiscal data by commentators) indicate that firms including Palantir and Deloitte have garnered more than $100 million each in contracts from ICE and CBP since early 2025. Combined industry spending from such major players has been reported in the tens of billions when including contractors, consultancies, and support services.
(Note: Reddit and community-sourced posts reflect aggregated contract totals drawn from public databases and financial reports — not an official government disclosure.)
Other Corporate Contracts
Advocacy and community-sourced lists highlight a range of companies that have held contracts with ICE or DHS, including:
- AT&T — approximately $83 million for networking and IT infrastructure.
- Dell — tens of millions for software licensing under larger Microsoft agreements.
- UPS, FedEx, LexisNexis, Motorola Solutions, and others with smaller logistics, data, and communications contracts.
These figures, while not exhaustive, illustrate that multiple large corporations participate in government contracting that supports immigration enforcement operations — generating revenue to private firms while drawing ethical resistance from some employees and activists.
Arguments From All Sides
Worker and Activist Perspective
- Many tech workers argue that corporate technology should not be used in ways that enable enforcement operations linked to human rights abuses. They see internal activism (like petitions and open letters) as a means to hold companies accountable to ethical values and public safety.
- Some also call for CEOs to use corporate influence to press the government to reform or reduce immigration enforcement practices.
Corporate and Government Perspective
- Companies typically respond that:
- Technology services (e.g., cloud infrastructure) are offered to a wide range of customers and are not uniquely designed for enforcement purposes.
- Contracting with government agencies is a lawful and longstanding part of business operations, subject to federal procurement rules.
- Employees’ ethical concerns are noted, but decisions about contracts are ultimately strategic and commercial.
- Federal agencies like ICE and CBP argue that they require modern technology to function effectively and lawfully in national security and public safety roles — though specific contract terms are often not fully public due to security and procurement rules.
Wider Context and Trends
The tech activism against ICE contracts is part of a broader pattern of employee engagement with corporate ethics — similar to earlier protests over military AI projects (e.g., Project Maven) and other government contracts.
This trend suggests increasing pressure on technology companies to reconcile their public values commitments with revenue from government contracts — particularly those tied to controversial federal activities.
Takeaways
- Google employees (nearly 900–1,000) are pushing for transparency and divestment from contracts with ICE and CBP.
- Other tech firms (e.g., Microsoft/GitHub, Amazon, Palantir) have faced past or ongoing scrutiny and employee activism regarding immigration enforcement contracts.
- International companies like Capgemini and Jim Pattison Group have reacted to public pressure by reevaluating or canceling ICE-related business.
- Contract spending data suggest billions of dollars flow through ICE/CBP contracts, with tech, telecom, logistics, and consulting companies among the beneficiaries, though precise totals are complex and fluctuate over time.
