Tech Leaders Including OpenAI’s Altman and Apple’s Cook Speak Out Against ICE After Minneapolis Shooting
OpenAI chief Sam Altman has told staff that immigration enforcement efforts by ICE have gone beyond acceptable limits, adding his voice to mounting criticism from the corporate sector.
His remarks follow the fatal shooting of a protester by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend, the second deadly incident linked to ICE activity there this month.
The killing has intensified public backlash and prompted more than 60 chief executives to jointly urge authorities to ease tensions and step back from aggressive measures.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told staff in an internal Slack message that recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have crossed acceptable limits, according to a source familiar with the exchange.
He stressed that there is a clear distinction between removing dangerous offenders and the current enforcement approach, arguing that authorities must not blur that line.
Apple CEO Tim Cook also addressed the situation, telling employees that he was deeply saddened by the events in Minneapolis and urging them to take steps to calm tensions, Bloomberg reported, citing an internal memo. Cook has discussed the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump, the report said. Apple did not immediately comment outside normal business hours.
Altman said he remains committed to supporting the United States and its democratic values, but added that true patriotism includes speaking out against government overreach.
His remarks, first reported by the New York Times’ DealBook, come amid divisions at Khosla Ventures, an early OpenAI investor, where founder Vinod Khosla and partner Ethan Choi distanced themselves from comments made by fellow partner Keith Rabois defending law enforcement actions.
Many companies have been cautious about openly criticizing Trump during his second term. Since the launch of “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis last December, major Minnesota-based corporations had largely avoided public comment on the impact of intensified immigration enforcement in the city.
That silence began to break after a second fatal shooting over the weekend, with leaders at firms including 3M, UnitedHealth Group, and General Mills calling for de-escalation.
Pressure has also grown from within the tech sector. More than 450 employees from companies such as Google, Meta, Salesforce, and OpenAI signed a letter urging executives to press the White House to pull ICE out of U.S. cities, end all contracts with the agency, and publicly condemn what they describe as violent tactics.
Altman said he hopes President Trump will seize the moment to bring the country together, adding that recent responses give him cautious optimism that transparency and accountability could help restore public trust.
