Table of Contents
- Salesforce’s Controversial Pitch to ICE
- Marc Benioff’s Political U-Turn
- AI-Powered Immigration Enforcement?
- Backlash from San Francisco
- A History of Controversy
- Sources
Salesforce’s Controversial Pitch to ICE
Salesforce, the San Francisco tech giant once hailed as a beacon of progressive corporate values, is now under fire for offering its artificial intelligence (AI) tools to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Internal documents obtained by The New York Times reveal that the company proposed using its AI platform to help ICE nearly triple its workforce—adding 10,000 new officers and agents—as part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
The August 26 memo, part of Salesforce’s response to an ICE request for information, described the company as the “ideal platform” to modernize hiring and implement a “high-yield marketing strategy” targeting potential recruits aligned with “administration priorities.”
Marc Benioff’s Political U-Turn
For longtime observers of Silicon Valley politics, this move marks a stunning reversal for CEO Marc Benioff. Once a vocal supporter of liberal causes—including hosting a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in 2016 and backing a city tax to fund homeless services—Benioff has recently embraced President Trump.
At his Dreamforce conference in San Francisco this week, Benioff avoided any mention of ICE or immigration enforcement, instead promoting his vision of an “agentic enterprise” powered by AI. Yet just days earlier, he publicly declared he “fully supports” Trump and even called for National Guard deployment in his hometown—a stance that has alienated many locals.
Benioff now identifies as an independent after previously claiming Republican roots, insisting he was “never progressive.” Critics argue his shift aligns more with business pragmatism than ideology, especially given Salesforce’s heavy reliance on federal contracts.
AI-Powered Immigration Enforcement?
According to internal Salesforce materials, the company explored using AI agents to:
- Evaluate tips submitted to ICE’s tip line
- Streamline background checks and candidate screening
- Automate parts of the hiring pipeline to accelerate recruitment
One internal Slack message celebrated the submission of the ICE proposal with fire emojis and exclamations of “amazing!” Employees also discussed attending the Border Security Expo to meet Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, and even praised his “efforts.”
While Salesforce claims all customers must adhere to its ethical use policies, critics question how AI-driven hiring for a law enforcement agency known for family separations and mass deportations aligns with those principles.
Backlash from San Francisco
San Francisco officials reacted with outrage. Supervisor Danny Sauter called Benioff’s alignment with ICE a betrayal of “San Francisco values,” noting the city’s status as a sanctuary jurisdiction designed to protect undocumented immigrants.
State Senator Scott Wiener went further, stating: “It’s completely unacceptable for any San Francisco company to help ICE scale up so that it can deploy more secret police to terrorize people in American neighborhoods.”
The irony is hard to miss: Salesforce’s rocket-shaped tower looms over downtown San Francisco—a symbol of innovation now entangled in one of the most divisive federal enforcement campaigns in recent memory.
A History of Controversy
This isn’t the first time Salesforce has faced criticism over ICE ties. In 2018, during the height of the Trump administration’s family separation policy, employees and activists demanded the company sever ties with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Benioff refused to cancel the contract but offered $250,000 to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). The organization’s then-director, Jonathan Ryan, rejected the donation as “dirty money.” Ryan told The Times this week that Benioff had promised to visit the border—but never followed through.
Now, with Trump back in office and federal tech contracts more lucrative than ever, Salesforce appears all-in. CEO Benioff recently called the U.S. government “our largest and most important customer,” citing billions in contracts with agencies like the Army, Coast Guard, and VA.
Sources
The New York Times: Salesforce Offers Its Services to Boost Trump’s Immigration Force
