Boston Dynamics Workers Petition Against ICE Robot Deal as Company Stands Firm

Over 300 workers at robotics firm Boston Dynamics have petitioned company leadership to scrap a contract supplying modified versions of its quadruped robots to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The company's executives rejected the request, asserting that the robots will remain non-weaponized tools for law enforcement purposes.

In mid-September, the Department of Homeland Security awarded a $1.3 million contract to Radeco, a Connecticut-based firm, to deliver customized Boston Dynamics robots to ICE. The petition, bearing more than 300 signatures—roughly half submitted anonymously—reached company executives in early September and was subsequently shared with The Boston Globe and WBUR public radio.

Many of us have gotten messages from friends and family, asking us in disbelief and horror if this news is true, and how we can live with ourselves if it is. The risk for Boston Dynamics is simply too great to continue with this deal.

Boston Dynamics employee petition

The petition signers, representing roughly one-fifth of Boston Dynamics' approximately 1,400-person workforce, characterized themselves as individuals who ordinarily "love showing off what we do to our friends, family and the world" and who "love challenging ourselves to innovate and change the perception of what robots can do."

Spot's Cerberus upgrade

The ICE arrangement entails procurement of four Boston Dynamics Spot units that Radeco has rebranded as Cerberus. According to the contract documentation, these machines are designated for "detect[ing] radiation, toxic gas leaks and explosive threats in urban environments or disaster zones," as well as conducting remote observation and inspection activities.

The upgraded platform incorporates an oxygen sensor designed to "ensure the air quality is breathable when personnel are placed in confined spaces such as tunnels." Additional capabilities include a camera with 30-times magnification, full 360-degree imaging, and thermal infrared sensing.

The Cerberus variant can be equipped with an optional Spot robotic arm for object manipulation and door operation, along with supplementary camera feeds when deployed. The contract specifies that the robot operates with substantial autonomy, capable of executing "repeatable autonomous missions with minimal human intervention" across intricate industrial settings.

ICE justified the purchase by citing the Homeland Security Task Forces' responsibility for "counter-illicit cross-border tunnel operations" and dismantling "cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks" operated by "criminal cartels, foreign gangs and transnational criminal organizations throughout the United States."

Spot robots are tools that help keep people out of harm's way. Regardless of any political implications or personal feelings about the organizations involved, if our robot can help keep people safe, we believe it should.

Boston Dynamics spokesperson

From fighting transnational crime to deportations

Boston Dynamics has stated that the robots would primarily serve ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division, which concentrates on combating transnational criminal enterprises, according to reporting by WBUR.

The Brennan Center for Justice has documented that the Homeland Security Investigations unit participated extensively in deporting undocumented immigrants and executing workplace raids during President Donald Trump's first administration. These enforcement actions occurred between 2018 and 2021, then ceased when U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas took office under President Joe Biden.

Since Trump's second term commenced in January 2025, the Homeland Security Investigations unit has reassigned thousands of personnel to immigration enforcement and deportation activities following a Trump executive order that redefined the unit's core mission, per the Immigration Policy Tracking Project.

The Boston Dynamics petition specifically cited an ICE and Homeland Security Investigations operation on September 4, 2025, that apprehended 475 predominantly South Korean workers at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America facility in Georgia. Hyundai Motor Group acquired Boston Dynamics in June 2021 and is now its parent company.

We cannot be proud of working at Boston Dynamics when that work is being used by a government agency that brutalizes civilians, including some of our own colleagues at Hyundai. All elements of the ICE organization, not just Enforcement & Removal Operations, have worked to sow fear among all people living in this country.

Boston Dynamics employee petition

The September 2025 workplace raid—the largest immigration enforcement operation of its category—triggered significant public backlash in South Korea and prompted South Korean officials to reassess the country's business commitments in the United States. Hyundai has nevertheless maintained its U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing operations at the Metaplant America facility and continues planning to deploy thousands of Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robots across its U.S. sites.

Boston Dynamics says Spot won't be weaponized

Boston Dynamics management has reaffirmed its commitment to the Radeco-ICE arrangement, which centers on Boston Dynamics furnishing technical assistance for the customized robots, according to The Boston Globe.

The company addressed worker concerns through an email from Amanda McMaster, former interim CEO of Boston Dynamics. Both The Boston Globe and WBUR obtained and published portions of this correspondence.

We believe this decision is in line with our purpose of ethically advancing intelligent machines in service of humanity.

Amanda McMaster, former interim CEO, Boston Dynamics

McMaster encouraged staff to "respect and accept this decision, even if you do not agree with it." She also referenced the company's contractual restrictions on Spot sales, which explicitly forbid "intentional use of the Product to harm or intimidate any person or animal, as a weapon, or to enable any weapon." Boston Dynamics had previously endorsed an open letter opposing weaponization of "advanced-mobility general-purpose robots."

A Boston Dynamics representative stated that the company has "worked productively" with the Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations for an extended period, and confirmed that these agencies have adhered to the company's contractual terms.

The company indicated it would "take immediate action" in response to customer misuse of Spot, though it reported "there have been no cases of a customer violating those terms and conditions" while collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security and other "public safety agencies."

That would include specific steps like voiding the warranty, refusing all future software updates, terminating their license, taking any appropriate legal action available to us, and likely never selling to that customer again.

Boston Dynamics spokesperson

Future workforce concerns

The employee objections to the ICE contract arrive as Boston Dynamics constructs a new advanced robotics and artificial intelligence facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, adjacent to its main offices. The $100 million initiative aims to generate 1,250 positions by 2033, per company announcements.

A Boston Dynamics spokesperson characterized the ICE contract as "a complicated and emotionally charged topic for many people, including some of our own employees." The company stated that "as our company continues to grow at a rapid pace, we will continue welcoming a highly diverse group of employees with views on every side of the social and political spectrum."

As Boston Dynamics expands production and deployment of platforms including Spot and Atlas, petition signers have raised concerns that the ICE association could undermine recruitment and staff retention.

We fear we will lose teammates over this decision, and worry about the risk it creates to achieve our shared company goals. This decision makes Boston Dynamics a less attractive employer—it will make it more challenging to build the team we need as we scale.

Boston Dynamics employee petition