More than 1,000 employees at Google have signed an internal petition urging the company to reconsider its work with U.S. immigration enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The petition raises concerns about how the company’s cloud and artificial intelligence technologies may be used in surveillance, enforcement actions, and other activities tied to immigration operations.
According to the document, employees argue that certain applications of Google’s technology could contribute to harmful outcomes, including surveillance practices and enforcement measures that may affect migrant communities. The petition references reported deaths connected to immigration enforcement encounters and calls for greater scrutiny of the role private-sector technology may play in such contexts. It also claims that Google Cloud services support CBP surveillance systems and software developed by Palantir, including ImmigrationOS, which ICE reportedly uses to track and manage immigration-related data.
In addition, workers state that generative AI tools developed by Google have been used by agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as CBP, to enhance operational efficiency and productivity. Petition signatories question whether sufficient safeguards and oversight exist to prevent potential misuse of these technologies, particularly in sensitive enforcement environments.
The employees’ concerns extend beyond enterprise and government contracts to consumer-facing platforms owned by Google. The petition notes that the Google Play Store has blocked certain third-party applications designed to track ICE activity in real time. It also points to advertisements on YouTube that promote ICE recruitment messaging and voluntary self-deportation programs, arguing that such content raises ethical and reputational questions for the company.
At the time of writing, Google had not issued a public response addressing the petition’s claims or demands. The document, reportedly titled “Googlers Demand: Worker Safety & ICE Contract Transparency,” is still being circulated internally, with organizers encouraging additional employees to sign before formally presenting it to senior leadership.
Among the key requests outlined in the petition is a call for full disclosure of all existing and past contracts between Google and U.S. immigration-related agencies, including DHS, ICE, and CBP. Employees are also asking the company to withdraw from partnerships they believe could enable harmful enforcement actions or contribute to what they describe as state violence.
Worker safety is another central theme. Petitioners argue that employees—particularly contractors and those from immigrant communities—may face heightened personal and professional risks linked to the company’s government work. They are requesting expanded protections, including flexible remote work arrangements, access to legal and immigration-related assistance, and stronger internal support systems during periods of social or political unrest.
The document further calls for direct engagement between company leadership and staff. Specifically, employees are seeking a U.S.-based town hall or live question-and-answer session with executives responsible for government contracts. They request that any such session be recorded and conducted without the use of automated AI-generated summaries, emphasizing the importance of transparency and unfiltered communication.
Finally, the petition urges Google to establish clearer boundaries governing how its AI and cloud technologies may be deployed by government agencies. Signatories are asking for formal policies that define acceptable uses, mechanisms for oversight, and public transparency regarding potential misuse or unintended consequences.
The development reflects broader debates within the technology sector about the ethical implications of supplying advanced digital infrastructure and AI capabilities to government entities, particularly in areas involving surveillance, national security, and immigration enforcement. Employee activism around such issues has grown in recent years, with workers across multiple technology companies calling for stronger accountability, clearer ethical standards, and increased transparency in public-sector partnerships.
Whether the petition will lead to policy changes or new disclosures from Google remains uncertain. However, the initiative underscores ongoing tensions between commercial technology development, government collaboration, and employee expectations regarding ethical responsibility in the deployment of powerful digital tools.
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