Reid Hoffman Urges Tech Leaders to Speak Out

WASHINGTON: (Web Desk) – LinkedIn co‑founder Reid Hoffman has called on fellow technology and business leaders to be more outspoken against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies following a wave of public outrage after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hoffman, a prominent tech entrepreneur and Democratic donor, wrote that Silicon Valley leaders have too often remained silent and should use their influence to condemn what he described as the administration’s “excesses.” In an opinion piece for The San Francisco Standard, he said tech leaders “can’t bend the knee to Trump” or hope the crisis will simply fade away, urging them to speak out in defense of American values and civil liberties.

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His comments follow widespread criticism after the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge, an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. Videos of at least one of the shootings have circulated widely, fueling public outrage, protests and calls for accountability.

Several other tech voices have also weighed in, with industry leaders like Google DeepMind’s Jeff Dean calling the footage “absolutely shameful,” and hundreds of tech workers signing open letters urging CEOs to condemn the actions of federal immigration agencies.