Boston Dynamics employees have urged executives to cancel a $1.3 million (approximately £1 million) robot dog deal with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But management has refused to back down, despite workers' concerns about the agency's involvement in a 2025 immigration raid at a factory complex linked to the company's owner, Hyundai Motor Group.
The dispute centres on four modified Spot robots being supplied to ICE through Connecticut-based contractor RADeCO. Employees fear the deal could damage Boston Dynamics' reputation, drive workers away and undermine recruitment.
Workers submitted a petition with approximately 300 signatures in early September 2026, before the government awarded the contract on 25 September. According to WBUR, Boston Dynamics said nearly half the signatures were anonymous.
Why the Hyundai Factory Raid Has Sparked Anger
The dispute also involves Hyundai Motor Group, which acquired a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics in June 2021.
On 4 September 2025, federal immigration agents raided a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant under construction in Georgia. Authorities detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals.
The operation was led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit, with support from other agencies. US authorities described it as the largest single-site enforcement operation in HSI's history.
According to Reuters, Hyundai said none of those detained were directly employed by the company. Many worked for suppliers and subcontractors.
The raid sparked outrage in South Korea and raised concerns about the treatment of foreign workers supporting US manufacturing investments.
Boston Dynamics employees specifically referenced the operation in their petition. They questioned why their company would supply technology to an agency involved in detaining workers at a project linked to its parent company.
The petition accused ICE of brutalising civilians, including people associated with Hyundai. Employees warned that supplying robots could associate Boston Dynamics with immigration enforcement activities they opposed.
However, those accusations do not establish that the robots have been used in immigration raids or to mistreat civilians.
Boston Dynamics Bosses Refuse to Back Down
Boston Dynamics management has rejected employees' demands to cancel the sale.
Amanda McMaster, who served as interim chief executive before October's leadership change, defended the decision in an email responding to the petition.
'I ask you to respect and accept this decision, even if you do not agree with it,' she wrote, according to WBUR.
The company maintains that Spot robots can protect people by allowing officers to inspect potentially dangerous environments remotely.
Although RADeCO holds the government contract, Boston Dynamics is expected to provide technical support for the modified machines. The company's sales conditions prohibit weaponising Spot or deliberately using it to harm or intimidate people.
A company spokesperson told Ars Technica that violations could prompt Boston Dynamics to terminate licences, withhold software updates, void warranties or pursue legal action.
The company also said it had identified no violations of those conditions in its previous work with the Department of Homeland Security and other public safety agencies, but those assurances have not resolved employees' concerns about how ICE might eventually use the technology.
What Will ICE Do With the Robot Dogs?
The $1.3 million contract covers four Boston Dynamics Spot robots modified by RADeCO and marketed under the Cerberus name.
The machines are designed to inspect hazardous environments and gather information before officers enter potentially dangerous areas. Their capabilities include thermal imaging, cameras with 30-times zoom and sensors for detecting hazardous substances. The contract also includes four robotic arms capable of manipulating objects and opening doors.
Federal procurement documents describe missions involving suspected cross-border tunnels, human trafficking and transnational criminal organisations.
They also identify immigration enforcement, detention-related operations and investigations among the broader activities the systems could support.
Boston Dynamics says the robots are intended for HSI, which primarily investigates transnational crime, rather than ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division. However, HSI led the September 2025 Hyundai raid, demonstrating that the division also conducts workplace immigration enforcement.
Boston Dynamics has rejected suggestions that these robots will support immigrant detentions or deportations.
The procurement records describe intended capabilities and operational purposes. They do not establish that the four robots have already been deployed in raids, used against civilians or weaponised.
Could the ICE Deal Threaten Boston Dynamics' Expansion?
The controversy comes as Boston Dynamics prepares for a major expansion in Massachusetts. In June 2026, the company announced plans to invest approximately $100 million in a robotics and artificial intelligence facility in Waltham. It expects to create 1,250 jobs by 2033.
Employees fear the ICE contract could make those recruitment ambitions harder to achieve. Their petition warned that existing staff might leave and prospective recruits could reconsider joining the company because of its association with immigration enforcement.
There is currently no confirmed evidence that the dispute has caused significant employee departures or disrupted the expansion.
The controversy also comes during a leadership transition. Former Amazon AI executive Rohit Prasad became Boston Dynamics' chief executive on 7 October 2026.
Management continues to defend the contract as a way to protect people in dangerous situations. Employees, meanwhile, remain concerned about where the technology could be deployed.
For Boston Dynamics, the dispute raises a broader question as it expands: how much control can a robotics company retain over the use of its technology after selling it to government agencies?
