Around 250 people turned out in the pouring rain on Friday evening at the headquarters of Vancouver tech company Hootsuite, protesting a recently-publicized contract it has with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The department oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the U.S., which has come under heavy criticism for its actions during an ongoing immigration crackdown in the state of Minnesota.
Two U.S. citizens died after they were shot by ICE agents, and the protest at Hootsuite comes as Canadian companies that do business with ICE are facing increasing blowback.
While Hootsuite’s CEO recently posted a statement acknowledging the backlash, it did not commit to the end of the contract with the department — something protesters on Friday want to see happen.
“Shame on Hootsuite for their complicity [and] work with ICE,” said Mike Tan, who told the crowd he was Hootsuite’s first finance executive and has since left the company.
“I know as a child of immigrants, like, with ICE coming down on immigrant communities — it’s very emotional,” he added. “I see all the violence that’s taking place. So, shame on Hootsuite.”
The contract between Homeland Security and New York-based Seneca Strategic Partners is to provide “social media management platform Hootsuite and support services,” and is worth up to $2.8 million US, according to a U.S. government procurement website.
The website does not explain the relationship between Hootsuite and Seneca, which describes itself as a federal government contracting business wholly owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians.
In a statement Wednesday, Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky said “what we are watching unfold right now is wrong,” and the loss of life and fear as a result of ICE enforcement actions was devastating.
Her statement does not commit to an end to the contract, saying the company’s responsibility is to its customers and standards that demonstrate how its technology is used.
Novoselsky said Hootsuite has worked with government organizations across countries and administrations for more than 15 years, including the U.S. government.
“Our use-case with ICE does not include tracking or surveillance of individuals using our tools. Any claim otherwise is false and prohibited under our terms of service, which we actively enforce,” she said.
“We work with a wide range of organizations because listening to real conversations leads to insights that drive better decisions and accountability, without endorsing specific actions or policies,” the statement adds.
A Hootsuite spokesperson, in response to a request from CBC News, said Friday in a one-line statement that the company respected everyone’s rights to express their views peacefully.
Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon, one of the organizers of the Friday protest with the Democracy Rising group, said that whether ICE complied with Hootsuite’s terms of service was besides the point.
“We’re like, in a really acute moment right now, where we have an authoritarian regime on the rise in the United States — and, like, will Canadians be complicit or will we resist?” she asked.
“And as for whether or not they actually track individuals or provide surveillance — that’s also beside the point,” she continued. “They’re materially contributing to ICE’s operations on the ground.”
Protesters gather outside Hootsuite headquarters in response to contract with ICE
On Friday, B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison’s development company reversed a decision to sell an industrial building in Virginia to ICE following significant public backlash.
B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan spoke at the protest on Friday, saying Pattison’s reversal was a victory for protesters, and asked for his companies to provide full disclosures of their dealings with ICE.
“I think this victory shows that, as a party and as a movement, we can unmask the greed of the billionaire class and all the ways they exploit and harm others to grow their personal wealth,” she said.
Canadian billionaire taking heat for possible ICE facility deal
