Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, have both spoken out against recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, signalling rare public criticism from top artificial intelligence leaders even as they also offered praise for President Donald Trump’s response.
Amodei publicly condemned “violence” involving Border Patrol agents in Minnesota during a television interview, emphasising the need to uphold democratic values at home. He clarified that Anthropic does not have contracts with ICE and framed the remarks around a broader defence of democratic principles rather than purely partisan critique.
Altman addressed the issue in an internal message to OpenAI employees that was later leaked, stating that recent ICE actions “are going too far” and drawing a distinction between deporting violent criminals and what he characterised as excessive enforcement tactics. In the same message, Altman described Trump as “a very strong leader” and expressed hope that the president would help “unite the country” amid heightened tensions over immigration policy.
The criticism from both CEOs came in the wake of a fatal shooting of an American citizen, Alex Pretti, by ICE agents in Minneapolis, an incident that has ignited widespread debate and outrage. Altman’s remarks, while critical of ICE, balanced that stance with praise for Trump’s recent responses and a call for accountability and transparent investigations.
The reactions stand out because many other major tech leaders have been cautious or silent on the issue. In the days following the Minneapolis events, thousands of tech workers from companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce signed open letters urging CEOs to demand that ICE withdraw from U.S. cities and to end corporate contracts with immigration enforcement agencies. Some prominent figures in the tech community, including researchers and founders unrelated to Anthropic and OpenAI, have publicly condemned ICE’s actions as violations of democratic norms.
Company responses vary, and some critics argue that balancing criticism with political support reflects the complex relationships between tech firms and government policies. Both Amodei and Altman’s statements drew attention in Silicon Valley as broader debates continue within and outside the industry about corporate responsibility, civil liberties and the political positions of influential technology companies.
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