OpenAI is releasing a new set of resources for employees who may have interactions with US immigration officials.
The effort is intended to assist employees directly affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention or extended secondary inspection by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including scenarios involving an employee or an immediate family member.
The move comes as the country deals with the impact from a slew of federal immigration enforcement incidents, including lethal shootings, which have sparked nationwide protests and business backlash.
According to an OpenAI spokesman, the assistance resources are:
Up to $15,000 (gross) in reimbursement for approved immigration detention or enforcement-related fees, such as immigration legal services, meals, accommodation, and transportation.
Referrals to external immigration counsel are expedited.
A resource guide for dealing with difficult immigration issues, including information on identifying detained individuals and referrals to low-cost or pro bono lawyers.
“We regularly review our employee benefits to ensure they reflect the needs of our workforce,” a spokeswoman told Business Insider. “As part of that process, we updated our support resources for employees facing complex immigration-related situations.”
The corporation, which relies on experienced workers from throughout the world, declined to say how many staff could need to use the services.
The announcement comes following internal discussions at OpenAI concerning government immigration enforcement, including CEO Sam Altman’s recent note to workers denouncing ICE’s operations as “too far.”
Altman has previously raised alarm about recent immigration enforcement operations in a late January internal Slack chat, eliciting significant emotions within the organization.
Altman’s remarks come amid increased national scrutiny of ICE and Border Patrol activities in Minneapolis, where federal immigration enforcement actions have been widely criticized.
In his statement, which also applauded Trump, Altman stated that loving the country entails recognizing and opposing government “overreach.”