Google DeepMind Employees Request Leadership to Ensure Their Physical Safety from ICE

Staff members at Google DeepMind have requested that the company’s leadership provide plans and policies to ensure their “physical safety” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while on company grounds, as per screenshots of internal communications obtained by WIRED.

On Monday morning, just two days after federal agents fatally shot Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, a Google DeepMind employee posted the following message in an internal board for the company’s approximately 3,000-member AI team:

“US focused question: What is GDM doing to keep us physically safe from ICE? Recent events have demonstrated that immigration status, citizenship, or even the law do not prevent detention, violence, or even death from federal agents.”

The message continues: “What types of plans and policies are in place to ensure our safety in the office? What about commuting to and from work? As we have observed, the tactics of government agencies can evolve and escalate quickly. With offices across various metro areas in the US, are we adequately prepared?”

This message garnered over 20 “plus emoji” reactions from fellow Google DeepMind employees.

By Monday evening, no senior leaders at Google had addressed the message. In fact, Google’s top executives—including CEO Sundar Pichai and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis—have reportedly remained silent regarding Pretti’s death even within the organization, according to sources.

These communications indicate growing rifts between AI companies and their employees concerning the Trump administration’s use of federal immigration agents throughout the United States. While many Silicon Valley executives have mostly acquiesced to Trump, employees have begun to voice concerns both internally and externally about the federal government’s actions.

Google DeepMind’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, has been highly critical of ICE. In a post on X Sunday, he reacted to a video of Pretti’s shooting, stating, “This is absolutely shameful.”

Employees at the defense tech company Palantir have questioned the firm’s collaboration with ICE. WIRED earlier reported that one Palantir employee expressed in Slack, “In my opinion, ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this.”

Additionally, employees from AI labs that partner with Palantir—including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Meta—have had discussions about urging their leaders to sever ties with the defense tech firm, as reported by The New York Times.

Concerns about ICE agents entering Google’s offices are not unfounded. In a message obtained by WIRED, another Google DeepMind staff member raised alarms about a federal agent allegedly trying to access the company’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, facility last fall.

Google’s head of security and risk operations addressed this message to clarify what transpired. They indicated that an “officer arrived at reception without notice” and that the agent was “not granted entry due to the absence of a warrant and subsequently left.”

Google declined to comment.

Google is among several Silicon Valley companies that depend on thousands of highly skilled foreign workers, many of whom are in the US on visas. In response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement, these companies have had to implement additional safeguards for many employees. Late last year, Google and Apple cautioned employees on visas against leaving the country after the White House tightened its vetting process for visa applicants.

At that point, leaders in Silicon Valley were vocal in defending visa programs, which have allowed the US to attract exceptional talent from around the world.

However, executives in AI have seemed hesitant to publicly address the federal government’s recent immigration measures. Beyond Google, leaders from other Silicon Valley firms—including OpenAI, Meta, xAI, Apple, and Amazon—have not yet openly commented on ICE activities. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman did acknowledge the Minnesota incident in an internal message, according to DealBook, telling employees that “what’s happening with ICE is going too far.”