JAKARTA - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has become the latest corporate leader to voice deep concerns about the US immigration agency ICE's crackdown, which has been deemed to have gone too far.
In an internal message sent to employees via the Slack platform, Altman highlighted the escalation of violence in Minnesota, following the fatal shooting incident by federal agents against a protester in Minneapolis last weekend.
The incident is the second fatal shooting involving a federal agent this month, sparking a wave of widespread disapproval of current immigration enforcement procedures.
In the message, which was first reported by DealBook New York Times, Altman emphasized that there is a fundamental difference between deporting violent criminals and aggressive actions that are currently taking place on the ground.
According to him, the failure to maintain these limits is a major mistake that must be immediately corrected. Altman stated that although he loves the United States and its democratic values and freedom, part of the love for the country is to carry out the duty as citizens to fight against all forms of excessive government actions.
Altman's move was followed by a similar statement from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who said he was deeply shocked by the events in Minneapolis and called for de-escalation of tensions. Based on internal reports, Cook is even rumored to have discussed this sensitive issue directly with President Donald Trump.
The attitude of these technology leaders emerged after they had chosen to remain silent for a long time, until finally more than 60 CEOs signed a joint statement urging self-restraint from the security forces.
The pressure on top executives has actually increased since last weekend, when more than 450 employees from technology giants such as Google, Meta, Salesforce, and OpenAI signed an open letter. They urged company leaders to pressure the White House to withdraw ICE forces from cities in the US, cancel all corporate contracts with the agency, and dare to speak out against the violence.
This wave of internal protests broke out along with the running of "Operation Metro Surge" in Minneapolis, which was considered to have disrupted stability in the Midwest corporate center.
On the other hand, Altman's comments also came amid internal tensions at Khosla Ventures, one of OpenAI's early backers. The firm's founder, Vinod Khosla, publicly rejected his colleague's statement in defense of immigration enforcement.
Closing his internal message, Altman expressed his hope that President Trump could act as a strong leader to reunite the country. He also encouraged a transparent investigation to rebuild public trust that had collapsed due to a series of violent incidents.
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