In a bold move that’s sending shockwaves through San Francisco’s tech landscape, Salesforce employees are taking a stand against their company’s potential collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An internal letter is circulating, calling on CEO Marc Benioff to publicly denounce ICE’s actions and prevent the company’s software from being used in deportation efforts.

The letter specifically highlights documentation revealing Salesforce has pitched AI technology to help ICE “expeditiously” hire 10,000 new agents. Employees argue that providing infrastructure to support an agency that currently detains 66,000 people, 73 percent without criminal records, fundamentally betrays the company’s ethical technology commitments.

Benioff, known for his political engagement and previous support of progressive causes, finds himself in a challenging position. While he has historically backed Democratic candidates and local San Francisco initiatives, recent interactions suggest a more nuanced political stance. His recent comments joking about ICE agents being present during a company event have further inflamed employee tensions.

The internal pushback comes amid significant leadership changes at Salesforce. Several top executives, including Slack’s CEO Denise Dresser and marketing chief Ariel Kelman, have recently departed, potentially signaling deeper organizational shifts.

Employees are leveraging Benioff’s political influence, arguing that his voice carries significant weight in Washington. They’re urging him to use his platform as a “corporate statesman” to establish clear ethical boundaries around the company’s technological deployments.

This confrontation reflects a growing trend in tech, where employees are increasingly demanding corporate accountability and ethical standards. For Salesforce, a company that has prided itself on progressive values, the pressure to take a definitive stance on its technological partnerships has never been more intense.