OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman sent an internal message to employees telling them that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is "going too far" in its recent operations, according to a person familiar with the communication. Altman emphasized that removing violent criminals is not the same as the enforcement measures being carried out now and said the distinction must be made clear.
Altman wrote in the Slack message: "What’s happening with ICE is going too far." He added: "There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what’s happening now, and we need to get the distinction right." The CEO also framed his stance as part of a broader civic duty, saying: "I love the U.S. and its values of democracy and freedom and will be supportive of the country however I can; OpenAI will too." He continued: "But part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach."
The comments come amid heightened scrutiny of ICE enforcement in Minneapolis, where federal agents have been involved in two shootings this month that resulted in the deaths of protesters. Those incidents prompted public outcry and led corporate leaders and employees to speak out about the scope and conduct of the operations.
Corporate concern has cut across multiple firms. Executives at several major Minnesota-headquartered companies publicly called for de-escalation after the second shooting occurred. Companies named by employees and others as raising concerns include 3M, UnitedHealth Group and General Mills, whose leaders urged steps to calm the situation.
The episode has also prompted divisions within venture firms connected to technology companies. At Khosla Ventures, founder Vinod Khosla and partner Ethan Choi disavowed comments made by partner Keith Rabois over a weekend in which Rabois contended that law enforcement had not shot an innocent person and that illegal immigrants commit crimes regularly. Khosla and Choi publicly distanced themselves from Rabois’ statements.
Employee activism has been prominent in the reaction. More than 450 workers from technology firms including Google, Meta Platforms, Salesforce and OpenAI signed a letter urging their company leaders to press the White House to withdraw ICE from U.S. cities, cancel contracts with ICE and publicly condemn what the letter described as ICE’s violence. The letter reflects pressure from staff to have corporate leaders take a stronger public stand on enforcement tactics affecting urban communities.
Altman also addressed the broader political context in his internal message, expressing support for national leadership while urging accountability. He wrote: "President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he will rise to this moment and unite the country. I am encouraged by the last few hours of response and hope to see trust rebuilt with transparent investigations."
The sequence of events - federal immigration operations in Minneapolis, two fatal shootings involving federal agents this month, corporate calls for de-escalation, and employee-led demands for action - has produced a wave of criticism and debate within the technology and business communities. Executives at major firms and sizable groups of employees have sought public clarity and steps to reduce tensions on the ground.
Context limitations: The details above summarize internal statements, corporate responses and employee actions as reported; they do not provide investigative findings about the incidents themselves beyond the fact that two federal agent-involved shootings occurred in Minneapolis this month and that these events prompted public and corporate reactions.