Read Sam Altman’s Message Saying ICE ‘Is Going Too Far’

Being patriotic means you additionally have to name out “overreach” whenever you see it, Sam Altman privately informed OpenAI staff in a message that stated Immigration and Customs Enforcement had gone “too far.”

“I really like the US and its values of democracy and freedom and shall be supportive of the nation nonetheless I can; OpenAI will too,” the OpenAI CEO wrote in an inner Slack message. “However a part of loving the nation is the American responsibility to push again in opposition to overreach. What’s taking place with ICE goes too far.”

OpenAI staff responded positively to Altman’s message on Slack, together with coronary heart and thank-you emojis.

Altman’s message, which was first reported by The New York Occasions’ Dealbook e-newsletter, comes as CEO and tech leaders face inner and exterior pressures within the wake of the lethal Border Patrol capturing of Alex Pretti on Saturday. Pretti is the second particular person to be fatally shot by federal legislation enforcement amid a surge in immigration enforcement in and round Minneapolis.

Altman additionally praised Trump’s management in his message and expressed hope that the president may cool tensions — the most recent instance of a CEO attempting to balance being vital of actions tied to the Trump administration’s insurance policies whereas additionally staying on the president’s good facet.

President Trump is a really robust chief, and I hope he’ll rise to this second and unite the nation,” Altman wrote. “I’m inspired by the previous few hours of response and hope to see belief rebuilt with clear investigations.”

As a common precept, Altman wrote that OpenAI tries to “stick with our convictions and never get blown round by altering fashions an excessive amount of.”

On Monday, the White Home gave the impression to be recalibrating its response within the wake of great criticism, together with from some congressional Republicans.

White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to affiliate Trump with Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem and White Home advisor Stephen Miller’s preliminary statements that Pretti was attempting to commit home terrorism.

Learn Sam Altman’s message to staff

I really like the US and its values of democracy and freedom and shall be supportive of the nation nonetheless I can; OpenAI will too. However a part of loving the nation is the American responsibility to push again in opposition to overreach. What’s taking place with ICE goes too far. There’s a massive distinction between deporting violent criminals and what’s taking place now, and we have to get the excellence proper.

President Trump is a really robust chief, and I hope he’ll rise to this second and unite the nation. I’m inspired by the previous few hours of response and hope to see belief rebuilt with clear investigations.

As an organization, we intention to stay to our convictions and never get blown round by altering fashions an excessive amount of. We did not change into tremendous woke when that was well-liked, we did not begin speaking about masculine company power when that was well-liked, and we aren’t going to make a number of performative statements now about security or politics or anything. However we’re going to proceed to attempt to determine methods to really do the precise factor as greatest as we will, interact with leaders and push for our values, and converse up clearly about it as wanted.

Correction: January 27, 2026 — Alex Pretti was fatally shot by Border Patrol, not ICE.

Do you’re employed at OpenAI? Contact the reporter from a non-work electronic mail and system at bgriffiths@businessinsider.com