Salesforce CEO Faces Backlash Over 'Vile' ICE Jokes at Company Event

Benioff's remarks about immigration agents drew strong criticism from his own staff, who called the comments 'deeply horrifying' and 'not funny'.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff faced intense backlash from his own employees after making 'vile' jokes about ICE agents during a company keynote address. Benioff's remarks, which implied that ICE agents were present to potentially deport international employees, were met with 'faint boos' from the audience and sparked outrage on the company's internal Slack channels, with staffers calling the comments 'deeply horrifying' and 'not funny' given the recent fatal shooting of two American citizens by federal immigration agents.

Why it matters

Benioff's comments were seen as highly insensitive and tone-deaf, especially in light of the recent ICE-related violence. As the CEO of a major tech company, Benioff's words carry significant weight, and his attempt at humor was widely condemned by his own employees as being out of touch with the real-world impacts of immigration enforcement.

The details

During his keynote address at a Salesforce event in Las Vegas, Benioff invited the company's international employees to stand up, then joked that ICE agents were present in the back of the room, implying the employees could be deported. Benioff later made additional ICE-related jokes, including taunting employees who had not used the company's Slackbot. Employees reacted strongly on Slack, with one writing 'How can you talk about trust and equality right after making jokes about ICE?' and another saying 'All he had to do was do a corporate presentation. One job. Just tell us about agents or something and don't make a plutocratic billionaire joke showing how distant you are from real life.'

  • On Tuesday, Benioff made the controversial ICE jokes during his keynote address at a Salesforce event in Las Vegas.
  • Last month, federal immigration agents fatally shot two American citizens in Minnesota, further heightening tensions around ICE and immigration enforcement.

The players

Marc Benioff

The 61-year-old founder and CEO of Salesforce, who also owns Time magazine. Benioff has a history of making controversial comments that have been criticized as tone-deaf by his own employees.

Rob Seaman

The general manager of Slack, which was acquired by Salesforce in 2021. Seaman acknowledged that Benioff's ICE jokes were 'indefensible' and did not align with his personal values.

Craig Broscow

A Salesforce vice president who called on Benioff to address staff concerns about the ICE jokes, saying they were 'overshadowing' his employees' work.

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What they’re saying

“I want to acknowledge the jokes that happened this morning at CKO. I cannot defend or explain them. They do not align with my personal values, and I know this to be the case for many of you as well.”

— Rob Seaman, Slack general manager (Business Insider)

What’s next

Salesforce employees are circulating a letter to Benioff calling on him to denounce recent ICE killings and prohibit the use of Salesforce software by immigration agents.

The takeaway

Benioff's ill-advised ICE jokes have sparked outrage among his own staff, who view the remarks as deeply insensitive and out of touch with the real-world impacts of immigration enforcement. This controversy highlights the growing disconnect between tech leaders and their employees, who increasingly expect their companies to uphold progressive values and avoid harmful rhetoric.