In brief
After significant pressure from lawmakers and public scrutiny over its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Capgemini has decided to sell its US subsidiary. The contract, which provided 'skip tracing services', came under fire following the fatal shootings of two US citizens by ICE agents. The decision aims to realign the subsidiary's operations with the company's core values as Capgemini faces heightened criticism over its involvement with immigration enforcement.
French technology giant Capgemini has announced it will sell its US subsidiary after its work locating people for immigration enforcement agency ICE sparked outrage. The decision comes amid pressure from French lawmakers and international scrutiny over the practices of the agency following the fatal shooting of US citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.
Capgemini Government Solutions has been under a contract since December 18 to provide 'skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations', which involves locating individuals whose whereabouts are unknown. Capgemini is set to be paid over $4.8 million for this work, which has drawn ire as it coincides with protests against ICE's actions deemed unjust.
Criticism of ICE practices has intensified in recent weeks, particularly following the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, and the previous fatal incident involving Renee Good. As protests erupted across the nation, Capgemini found itself under fire for its involvement with ICE, prompting its CEO Aiman Ezzat to express concerns over the nature of the contract awarded to the subsidiary.
Amid substantial backlash, including calls from French politicians for transparency regarding the company's contracts with ICE, Capgemini announced that it could not effectively oversee certain operations of its subsidiary and will initiate the divestiture process immediately.
Founded in 1967, Capgemini is a leading IT services and consulting firm with over 340,000 employees and a valuation of €22 billion. The situation raises important questions about corporate responsibility and the role of private companies in government immigration enforcement.
