Will Google end contracts with ICE, CBP after protest from employees? What are they demanding

More than 900 employees and contractors at Alphabet Inc.’s Google have signed a petition urging the company to end its contracts with US immigration enforcement agencies, according to a Bloomberg report.

The petition calls on Google to sever ties with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Employees behind the effort argue that Google’s technology should not be used in connection with immigration enforcement activities that they say have caused harm to vulnerable communities, Bloomberg reported.

According to Bloomberg, the petition was circulated internally and has garnered signatures from workers across multiple teams and roles within the company. The letter urges Google’s leadership to publicly disclose all existing contracts with ICE and CBP and to make a clear commitment to ending those relationships.

The employee action comes amid renewed scrutiny of US immigration enforcement following recent high-profile incidents that have sparked protests and criticism nationwide. Bloomberg noted that these developments have intensified opposition among some Google employees to any involvement with federal immigration agencies.

In the petition, signatories said they are “vehemently opposed” to Google’s work with ICE and CBP and called on the company to align its business practices with its publicly stated values and ethical commitments, according to Bloomberg. The letter also demands greater transparency around how Google technologies are used by government agencies.

Google has not publicly responded to the petition. Bloomberg reported that the company declined to comment on the employee demands or provide details on any current or past contracts with ICE and CBP.

The report adds that Google’s relationship with US government agencies has been a recurring source of internal tension. In recent years, employees at the tech giant have organised protests and petitions related to military, surveillance and law-enforcement contracts, reflecting broader debates within the technology sector about the social impact of corporate partnerships.

Bloomberg said the latest petition underscores a wider trend of employee activism in Silicon Valley, where workers are increasingly vocal about how their companies’ technologies are deployed. Similar campaigns have emerged at other major technology firms, with employees seeking a greater role in decisions related to government and defence work.

While such employee-led initiatives do not always result in immediate changes to corporate policy, they can increase pressure on management and shape internal discussions, Bloomberg noted. In some cases, public scrutiny and sustained internal opposition have led companies to modify or abandon certain government contracts.

For Google, the petition adds to ongoing questions about how the company balances its expanding cloud and enterprise business with ethical concerns raised by its workforce. As Bloomberg reported, the outcome of the campaign remains uncertain, but it highlights growing tensions between tech workers and management over the role of technology in law enforcement and public policy.