Salesforce CEO Faces Internal Revolt Over ICE Remarks
Salesforce employees are mobilizing against CEO Marc Benioff following controversial comments he made about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during the company's annual kickoff event in Las Vegas. According to multiple reports from Wired, Business Insider, and 404 Media, Benioff asked international employees to stand up during his keynote address, then joked that ICE agents were present in the building monitoring them.
Immediate Backlash and Internal Fury
The room reportedly responded with audible groans as employees immediately took to internal Slack channels to express their anger and disbelief. One employee wrote, "It's hard to believe this company still has values when you make completely off-base jokes about ICE in your opening keynote." The backlash intensified rapidly across multiple channels, with employees describing themselves as "furious" and the internal reaction as employees going "absolutely apeshit" on company communication platforms.
In a channel specifically designated for employee grievances called #airing-of-grievances, workers posted memes questioning the company's ethical standing, including one asking "Are we the baddies?" while others debated whether any apology could possibly repair the damage caused by the CEO's remarks.
Formal Open Letter Demands Action
Beyond expressing outrage, employees have organized a formal open letter demanding concrete action from leadership. The letter, first reported by Wired, calls on Benioff to issue a public statement condemning what it describes as ICE's "unconstitutional conduct" and to establish clear "red lines" prohibiting the use of Salesforce's cloud computing and artificial intelligence products for immigration enforcement purposes.
The document specifically references leaked documentation showing that Salesforce previously pitched its Agentforce AI technology to help ICE rapidly hire 10,000 new agents and process tip-line reports. This revelation has added significant fuel to the employee protest, connecting Benioff's jokes to what workers see as problematic business relationships.
Connecting to Broader Social Issues
The open letter also makes explicit connections to recent tragedies, specifically mentioning the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, which it describes as a "devastating indictment of a system that has discarded human decency." This framing elevates the protest beyond workplace concerns to broader social justice issues, putting additional pressure on Salesforce leadership to respond substantively.
Political Influence Adds Weight to Demands
The employee letter strategically notes that Benioff's voice "carries unique weight" in political circles, citing a specific episode from last fall when former President Donald Trump reportedly called off an ICE deployment in San Francisco following outreach from Bay Area technology leaders including Benioff and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. This reference underscores employees' belief that their CEO possesses significant political capital that could be leveraged for meaningful change.
Salesforce has not yet responded to media requests for comment regarding the internal controversy, leaving employees waiting for official acknowledgment of their concerns. The situation represents a significant test of the company's stated values and its relationship with its global workforce at a time when technology companies face increasing scrutiny over their ethical practices and political engagements.
