More than 1,400 Salesforce employees have signed an internal letter urging CEO Marc Benioff to halt any potential business dealings with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The employees expressed deep concern over reports that Salesforce was pitching its artificial intelligence technology to ICE, aiming to “expedite” the hiring of 10,000 new agents and assist in vetting tip-line reports.
The letter specifically calls for Benioff to cancel all active pitches and opportunities related to ICE enforcement and hiring. It also demands a public statement from Salesforce denouncing the use of masked agents in U.S. cities. This employee action follows recent incidents where ICE agents were involved in the deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota in January, sparking widespread outrage and scrutiny within the tech industry.
This is not the first instance of tech workers challenging their companies’ engagement with government agencies. In a separate incident, Benioff reportedly made a lighthearted comment about ICE’s presence at an employee gathering in Las Vegas, which, according to sources familiar with the matter, drew criticism on internal company forums.
The Salesforce employees are seeking clarity from the company regarding the nature of its services provided to ICE. They are requesting a pause or prohibition on any infrastructure, AI systems, or services that could facilitate ICE’s operational expansion. A supplementary document accompanying the letter voiced concerns that Salesforce products might be enabling ICE to enhance its recruitment, onboarding, and overall operational capacity. This concern is underscored by a New York Times report from October, which indicated that Salesforce had described its software as an “ideal platform” for ICE agent recruitment in response to an information request.
This internal dissent comes at a critical juncture for Salesforce. The company, like many in the software sector, is facing investor apprehension regarding the potential impact of artificial intelligence on growth prospects. Salesforce’s stock has seen a decline of approximately 27% year-to-date in 2026. Despite these market pressures, the company had previously projected growth between 9% and 10% for the current fiscal year, signaling continued ambition.
The employee letter is part of a broader trend of employee activism within the tech industry. Just last week, nearly 900 Google employees petitioned their company to divest from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Prominent business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have also publicly condemned the actions of ICE agents in recent confrontations.
The Salesforce employee letter highlights the personal and professional risks employees face when their company is perceived as enabling actions they oppose. The signatories emphasize that a lack of transparency regarding Salesforce’s relationship with ICE makes it difficult for employees to make informed decisions about their work and their alignment with the company’s ethical stance. The organizers plan to submit the letter to Benioff by Friday.
The letter acknowledges Benioff’s past stance, including his stated belief in October that the National Guard did not need to deploy to San Francisco. This is noted in contrast to a previous report suggesting his support for the idea of bringing troops to the city. Additionally, the employees reference Benioff’s engagement with government entities, including a conversation with a former Trump administration official and attendance at a White House dinner with tech executives. Salesforce had previously announced agreements with the U.S. General Services Administration to offer discounted Slack services to government agencies, a move mirrored by other major tech firms like Adobe, Microsoft, and ServiceNow extending similar price reductions for their software to the U.S. government.
The letter concludes by invoking Benioff’s own philosophy, “business is the greatest platform for change,” urging him to use this platform to protect constitutional rights and community safety.
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