Boston Dynamics staff petition to cancel $1.3M Spot robot sale to ICE

The petition, which gathered roughly 300 signatures in early September, argues the sale damages the company’s reputation and associates it with an agency that "brutalizes civilians." Employees warned the contract could lead to staff resignations and hinder hiring. A Boston Dynamics spokesperson noted that nearly half the signatures were anonymous and that the signers represent a minority of the company's 1,500+ employees.

Former interim CEO Amanda McMaster defended the decision, stating the robots are sold to ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, which focuses on transnational criminal matters rather than removal operations. The company maintains its terms prohibit weaponizing the robots or using them for harm. The dispute highlights internal resistance to government use of autonomous machines, complicated by the third-party integrator adding military hardware.