ICE plan to buy robot dogs from Boston Dynamics

More than 300 Boston Dynamics employees - about half of them signing anonymously - asked executives to stop a deal supplying ICE with robot dogs. The contract, awarded to Connecticut firm Radeco for $1.3 million, covers four modified Spot robots marketed as Cerberus; Boston Dynamics would provide technical support. Equipped with radiation, gas and oxygen sensors, thermal and zoom cameras, and an optional arm, the robots are intended for tunnel investigations, hazardous-site inspections and other remote missions. ICE says they will support efforts against cross-border smuggling and trafficking. The employees argue that association with the agency risks harming civilians and undermining the company’s reputation, citing ICE’s role in a 2025 Georgia workplace raid that detained 475 mostly South Korean Hyundai workers.

Boston Dynamics leadership has declined to cancel the deal, saying the robots can protect personnel and are not weapons. Spot’s sales terms prohibit using it to harm or intimidate people or animals, or to enable weapons; the company says it can revoke warranties, software access and licenses, pursue legal action, and stop sales if a customer misuses a robot. It also says its dealings with Homeland Security have complied with those terms. Employees remain concerned that ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit has been redirected toward immigration enforcement and deportations, despite the company’s emphasis on its criminal-investigation mission. They warn the agreement could hurt recruitment and retention as Boston Dynamics expands, including through a $100 million facility planned to create 1,250 jobs by 2033.