Salesforce Employees Demand Benioff Denounce ICE, Halt Software Use

Salesforce employees are mounting an internal challenge to CEO Marc Benioff, demanding a stronger stance against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following remarks perceived as insensitive and revelations of the company’s pursuit of contracts with the agency. The push, centered around an open letter circulating within the company, calls for Benioff to publicly denounce ICE’s actions, prohibit the use of Salesforce software by immigration agents and actively support federal legislation aimed at reforming the agency.

The immediate catalyst for the employee action was a joke made by Benioff during Salesforce’s annual leadership kickoff event in Las Vegas earlier this week. According to multiple current and former employees who spoke with WIRED, Benioff asked international employees to stand and be recognized, then quipped that ICE agents were present in the room monitoring them. The remark sparked immediate and significant backlash, with employees describing a level of anger exceeding that seen after Benioff’s previous controversial statements, including his support for deploying the National Guard to San Francisco last fall.

The employee letter specifically references the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis as a key motivating factor, characterizing their killings as “a devastating indictment of a system that has discarded human decency.” While the exact number of signatories remains undisclosed, the letter’s circulation coincides with a period of heightened scrutiny regarding Salesforce’s relationship with ICE.

Beyond the immediate reaction to Benioff’s comments, the letter also raises serious concerns about Salesforce’s active pursuit of contracts with ICE. Leaked documentation cited in the letter reveals that Salesforce has pitched its artificial intelligence (AI) technology to ICE, specifically to assist the agency in “expeditiously” hiring 10,000 new agents and vetting tip-line reports. This proposal, dubbed “Agentforce,” is presented as a fundamental conflict with Salesforce’s stated commitment to the ethical use of technology.

The letter highlights the human impact of ICE’s operations, noting that 73 percent of the 66,000 individuals currently detained by the agency have no criminal record. This statistic underscores the employees’ argument that providing technological infrastructure to support ICE’s activities represents a betrayal of ethical principles.

Employees are urging Benioff to leverage his considerable political influence – demonstrated in the past by his successful advocacy against ICE deployments in San Francisco – to publicly condemn ICE’s actions and establish clear boundaries regarding the use of Salesforce’s technology. They are calling for a firm commitment to prevent Salesforce’s cloud and AI products from being used in what they describe as “state violence.”

Benioff has a history of engaging in political discourse, having supported Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and contributing financially to several Democratic candidates in 2020, including Kamala Harris. However, since the return of Donald Trump to the White House in January, Benioff has signaled a more conciliatory approach, stating his desire to remain nonpartisan, particularly given his ownership of Time magazine. He even joked about “donating” a Time cover featuring Trump to the former president, allowing him to use the image for free.

This isn’t the first time Benioff’s political stances have drawn criticism from within Salesforce. Last fall, he faced internal backlash for suggesting the deployment of the National Guard to San Francisco ahead of the company’s annual conference, a proposal he later apologized for and ultimately reversed, joining Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in urging Trump to refrain from sending troops.

The current situation presents Benioff with a complex challenge. He has previously demonstrated a willingness to engage in political issues and use his influence to advocate for specific outcomes. However, the internal pressure from his own employees, coupled with the ethical concerns surrounding Salesforce’s potential involvement in ICE’s operations, demands a decisive response. The outcome of this internal debate could significantly shape Salesforce’s future direction and its position on the increasingly contentious issue of technology’s role in immigration enforcement.

As of February 11, 2026, Salesforce has not publicly responded to the employee letter or the controversy surrounding Benioff’s remarks.