ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is reportedly offering $15,000 and support resources to staff affected by US immigration authorities. According to a Business Insider report, the initiative aims to help OpenAI employees who are directly affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention or prolonged secondary inspection by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It also includes situations involving an employee or an immediate family member. This comes days after Sam Altman said ICE has gone “too far” in an internal slack message last month. Stating that “part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach,” he said then that “What’s happening with ICE is going too far”.
OpenAI offers support to its employees
The BI report quotes an OpenAI spokesperson who said that as part of the current support, OpenAI is giving:
- “Up to $15,000 (gross) in reimbursement for approved expenses tied to immigration detention or enforcement interactions, such as immigration legal services, meals, lodging, and transportation.
- Expedited referrals to external immigration counsel.
- A resource guide for handling complex immigration situations, including guidance on locating detained individuals and referrals to low-cost or pro bono counsel.”
“We regularly review our employee benefits to ensure they reflect the needs of our workforce,” the spokesperson told the publication. “As part of that process, we updated our support resources for employees facing complex immigration-related situations,” it added.
The US immigration and enforcement agency, ICE has faced scrutiny for the restrictions that the Republicans call as overreach. As per reports, the agency has deported roughly 540,000 people since Trump took office for his second presidential term in January last year.The fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti by an ICE Agent in Minnesota last month ignited a firestorm across the country. Pretti, who was killed on January 24 morning, was filming federal immigration agents when a confrontation began. Officials claim he threatened them with a legally carried firearm, however, videos on the social media reportedly show he was shot after already being disarmed and subdued. Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman, too was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7.