Andrew Osborne, a PR specialist at DLR Group, resigned after discovering the firm’s involvement in a contract to convert an Oklahoma prison into a new ICE detention center. This revelation sparked significant backlash from employees, leading DLR Group’s CEO to announce that the firm would cease all work for ICE detainment or deportation facilities. Despite this commitment, the company will not abandon its existing contract for the Oklahoma project, nor will it end its relationships with private prison companies. This internal conflict highlights broader ethical debates within the architecture profession regarding work on correctional facilities and the role of design in potentially perpetuating or challenging systemic issues.
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More than 900 Google employees have penned an open letter condemning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions, calling for the tech giant to disclose and divest from its dealings with these agencies. Citing specific instances of violence and the use of Google’s technologies, such as Google Cloud aiding CBP surveillance and powering ICE’s ImmigrationOS system, employees expressed deep concern about the company’s role in what they describe as a “campaign of surveillance, violence, and repression.” The letter urges leadership to acknowledge the risks faced by workers, hold an internal Q&A on government contracts, implement protective measures, and publicly define the company’s ethical boundaries regarding partnerships with agencies involved in violence. This action mirrors similar demands from employees at other major tech companies for their leadership to publicly denounce ICE.
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John Q. Hosedrinker
Google Workers Demand ICE/CBP Divestment Amid Layoffs
More than 900 Google employees have penned an open letter condemning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions, calling for the tech giant to disclose and divest from its dealings with these agencies. Citing specific instances of violence and the use of Google’s technologies, such as Google Cloud aiding CBP surveillance and powering ICE’s ImmigrationOS system, employees expressed deep concern about the company’s role in what they describe as a “campaign of surveillance, violence, and repression.” The letter urges leadership to acknowledge the risks faced by workers, hold an internal Q&A on government contracts, implement protective measures, and publicly define the company’s ethical boundaries regarding partnerships with agencies involved in violence. This action mirrors similar demands from employees at other major tech companies for their leadership to publicly denounce ICE.
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