French technology giant Capgemini has announced it will sell its US subsidiary after its work locating people for immigration enforcement agency ICE sparked outrage. Capgemini has come under pressure from French lawmakers over a contract its subsidiary signed with ICE, amid international scrutiny over the methods used by the agency's agents in Minnesota.
The fatal shooting of US citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis have sparked protests across the US and have led to increased scrutiny of the agency. Capgemini Government Solutions has been under contract since 18 December to provide skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations, public records show.
Skip tracing services locate individuals whose whereabouts are unknown. Capgemini Government Solutions is set to be paid more than $4.8m (£3.5m) for its work tracing people for ICE, which is due to continue until 15 March, US government listings show. It is one of 13 contracts the subsidiary holds with ICE.
Capgemini, one of the largest listed companies in France, said in a statement that it had not been able to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of this subsidiary's operations in order to ensure alignment with the Group's objectives. It added that the divestiture process of this business will be initiated immediately.
Criticism of ICE practices has intensified in recent weeks since the shooting of 37-year-old Pretti, the second fatal shooting of a US citizen since immigration agents began surging across several cities in the US, acting on the Trump administration's drive to increase deportations of illegal immigrants. The killing of Pretti involved Border Patrol, while Good was shot by an ICE agent.
Capgemini's CEO Aiman Ezzat indicated on LinkedIn that the nature of the ICE contract has raised questions about the alignment of this work with the company's traditional operations. The revelation led to outrage among French politicians, with calls for transparency regarding Capgemini's contracts with ICE. Finance Minister Roland Lescure has urged the company to be open about these agreements, as left-wing MP Hadrien Clouet demanded sanctions against French companies collaborating with ICE. Founded in 1967, Capgemini is an IT services and consulting firm valued at €22bn (£19bn) with over 340,000 employees worldwide.
The fatal shooting of US citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis have sparked protests across the US and have led to increased scrutiny of the agency. Capgemini Government Solutions has been under contract since 18 December to provide skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations, public records show.
Skip tracing services locate individuals whose whereabouts are unknown. Capgemini Government Solutions is set to be paid more than $4.8m (£3.5m) for its work tracing people for ICE, which is due to continue until 15 March, US government listings show. It is one of 13 contracts the subsidiary holds with ICE.
Capgemini, one of the largest listed companies in France, said in a statement that it had not been able to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of this subsidiary's operations in order to ensure alignment with the Group's objectives. It added that the divestiture process of this business will be initiated immediately.
Criticism of ICE practices has intensified in recent weeks since the shooting of 37-year-old Pretti, the second fatal shooting of a US citizen since immigration agents began surging across several cities in the US, acting on the Trump administration's drive to increase deportations of illegal immigrants. The killing of Pretti involved Border Patrol, while Good was shot by an ICE agent.
Capgemini's CEO Aiman Ezzat indicated on LinkedIn that the nature of the ICE contract has raised questions about the alignment of this work with the company's traditional operations. The revelation led to outrage among French politicians, with calls for transparency regarding Capgemini's contracts with ICE. Finance Minister Roland Lescure has urged the company to be open about these agreements, as left-wing MP Hadrien Clouet demanded sanctions against French companies collaborating with ICE. Founded in 1967, Capgemini is an IT services and consulting firm valued at €22bn (£19bn) with over 340,000 employees worldwide.
