Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has publicly expressed concern over recent events in Minneapolis, following reports of violence involving Border Patrol agents. Speaking during an NBC News segment on Monday night, Amodei said he was troubled by developments in recent days and stressed the need to protect democratic values at home. In a related post on X, he described the situation in Minnesota as horrific and emphasized that while he supports democratic nations defending themselves against autocratic threats abroad, the same commitment must apply within the United States. He also stated that Anthropic has no contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Similar concerns emerged inside OpenAI, where a leaked internal Slack message revealed CEO Sam Altman telling staff that what is happening with ICE has gone too far. Altman wrote that loving the country includes pushing back against government overreach and drew a clear distinction between deporting violent criminals and current enforcement actions. He urged caution and accountability, saying it is critical to get that distinction right.
The statements come amid growing unrest within the tech industry after Border Patrol agents killed two US citizens in Minneapolis. Tech workers, including employees from OpenAI and Anthropic, have been urging their leaders to directly pressure the White House and demand that ICE withdraw from US cities. An open letter circulating in the industry also calls on technology companies to cancel all ICE related contracts and to publicly condemn what it describes as violent conduct.
Organizers behind ICEout.tech welcomed the comments from Amodei and Altman but said they do not go far enough. The group, whose members remain anonymous, said they now want to hear from the leaders of Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, companies they say have remained silent despite growing calls across the sector. According to the organizers, employees are eager for more executives to speak out and take visible action.
Both Amodei and Altman, however, tempered their criticism with praise for President Donald Trump. Amodei commended Trump for considering an independent investigation into the Minneapolis shootings, while Altman told staff he was encouraged by the president’s recent responses and expressed hope that Trump would unite the country. Altman also assured employees that OpenAI would engage leaders, push for its values, and speak clearly when necessary, though he has not publicly criticized the administration’s immigration strategy.
The mixed tone has drawn criticism from industry figures. J.J. Colao, founder of Haymaker Group and a signatory to the ICEout.tech letter, accused Altman of trying to balance condemnation with deference, arguing that praising the president weakens the message. Still, observers note that even cautious statements are notable, given how closely current US policies on artificial intelligence have aligned with the rapid growth and soaring valuations of companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.