Boston Dynamics staff petition against ICE robot dog sales
About 300 employees asked management to halt sales to ICE; the company said it would keep the contract, according to Ars Technica.
About 300 employees at Boston Dynamics signed a petition asking management to stop selling its robot dogs to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but the company decided to keep the contract, according to Ars Technica.
Half of the signatories submitted their names anonymously, and Boston Dynamics has about 1,400 employees in total. The petition was dated September 4, 2025. Management has not publicly detailed its reasons for retaining the contract.
Former interim CEO Amanda McMaster emailed employees saying the decision fits the company's mission and asking them to respect and accept it even if they disagree.
Contract details
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security signed a $1.3 million contract with Connecticut company RadDog on September 25, 2025. Under the deal, RadDog modifies four Boston Dynamics Spot robots into "Cerberus" units that detect radiation, toxic gas leaks and explosive threats.
Per the contract, ICE cites cracking down on illegal cross-border tunnels and human trafficking rings as its reasons for adopting the robot dogs. Boston Dynamics is owned by Hyundai Motor Group, which acquired the company in June 2021.
Quick answers
How many Boston Dynamics employees signed the petition?
About 300, roughly half of them anonymously, out of a total workforce of around 1,400.
What did Boston Dynamics decide about the ICE contract?
Management decided to keep the contract, and the former interim CEO told employees the decision fits the company's mission.
What are the Cerberus robots used for?
Under the $1.3 million contract, four Spot robots are modified to detect radiation, toxic gas leaks and explosive threats.