Startup CEO Feared for Employees’ Safety in Immigration Outcry
- Chef Software cutting ICE ties may be a first for industry
- Controversy underscores rift between tech and government
Photographer: David Maung/Bloomberg
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A Seattle-based software startup called Chef Software Inc. announced it would not renew its contracts with U.S. immigration agencies following days of online outcry that Chief Executive Officer Barry Crist described as “stunning,” adding that he feared for employees’ safety. “We needed to move out of the spotlight and refocus our resources on customers,” Crist said.
Chef is the first tech company to publicly sever ties with the U.S. agencies in response to pressure from activists and employees, according to the Latino advocacy group Mijente, which has been pushing the industry to distance itself from immigration authorities.