OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Apple CEO Tim Cook have joined a growing number of corporate executives expressing concern over immigration enforcement activities. Altman stated in an internal email that ICE is “going too far” while Cook expressed that he is “heartbroken” by the death of Alex Pretti, the man who violently clashed with federal agents on multiple occasions leading to his death.
Reuters reports that Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, told his employees in an internal communication that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “going too far” with its immigration crackdown, making him the latest major technology leader to voice concerns about aggressive enforcement actions in Minnesota.
Breitbart News recently reported that the man shot and killed by ICE agents, Alex Pretti, was caught on video in a previous violent clash with immigration agents. More than 60 CEOs have signed a statement calling for de-escalation after weeks of silence on the matter.
“What’s happening with ICE is going too far,” Altman wrote in a Slack message to employees of the ChatGPT maker, according to a source familiar with the matter. “There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what’s happening now, and we need to get the distinction right.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook also commented on the incident, stating that he was “heartbroken” by the events in Minneapolis and called for “de-escalation,” according to a Bloomberg report citing an internal memo to employees. Cook reportedly said he had discussed the matter with U.S. President Donald Trump. Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.
In his message to employees, Altman expressed his commitment to American values while emphasizing the importance of speaking out against what he views as government overreach. “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,” Altman said in his message, which was first reported by the New York Times’ DealBook. “But part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach.”
The comments from Altman come at a time when tensions have emerged within Khosla Ventures, an early backer of OpenAI. Founder Vinod Khosla and partner Ethan Choi publicly disavowed comments made by partner Keith Rabois over the weekend, who had stated that law enforcement had not shot an innocent person and that illegal immigrants commit crimes on a daily basis.
However, leaders of major Minnesota-based companies including 3M, UnitedHealth Group, and General Mills have called for de-escalation since the second shooting occurred over the weekend. The corporate response represents a significant shift after weeks of silence on the immigration enforcement operations.
Employee activism has also played a role in pushing companies to take a stance. More than 450 employees from technology firms including Google, Meta Platforms, Salesforce, and OpenAI signed a letter on Saturday urging their top executives to pressure the White House to withdraw ICE from U.S. cities, cancel all contracts with ICE, and speak out publicly against what they characterized as ICE’s violence.
The employee letter represents a grassroots effort within the technology industry to influence corporate policy on immigration enforcement. The signatories called on their employers to take concrete actions beyond public statements, including severing business relationships with ICE and actively lobbying the administration to change its approach.
Altman concluded his message to employees with an expression of hope for leadership from President Trump. “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,” Altman added.
Read more at Reuters here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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