Radeco, a Boston Dynamics partner that trains DHS and other agencies to operate Spot, will modify the four robots before supplying them to ICE

Radeco, a Boston Dynamics partner that trains DHS and other agencies to operate Spot, will modify the four robots before supplying them to ICE

Över 300 har skrivit under protestbrevet mot affären, där fyra ombyggda Spot-robotar säljs via Radeco för 1,3 miljoner dollar.

US robotics company stands by ICE deal as more than 300 employees warn of risk.

Nearly 300 Boston Dynamics workers petitioned against a $1.3 million Spot robot contract that ICE finalized through reseller Radeco.

Hundreds of employees at the US robotics firm Boston Dynamics signed a petition calling for executives to halt a sale of the company’s robot dogs to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement—but executives stood by the deal, while saying the robots would not be weaponized. On September 25, the Department of Homeland Security contract awarded $1.3 million to a Connecticut company called Radeco to provide ICE with modified versions of Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robots. But Boston Dynamics workers sent the petition letter with more than 300 signatures—half of them anonymous—to the company’s executives in early September and shared copies with The Boston Globe and WBUR public radio station. “Many of us have gotten messages from friends and family, asking us in disbelief and horror if this news is true, and how we can live with ourselves if it is,” according to the petition. “The risk for Boston Dynamics is simply too great to continue with this deal.” The petition described the signatories as employees who normally “love showing off what we do to our friends, family and the world” and who “love challenging ourselves to innovate and change the perception of what robots can do.” The 300 signatures come out of...

More than 300 Boston Dynamics employees have petitioned company leadership to withdraw from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contract involving four modified Spot robots for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The contract, awarded to Connecticut-based Radeco for $1.3 million, involves robots marketed as Cerberus, designed for hazardous inspections including tunnel operations. Employees argue that supporting ICE's immigration enforcement work, particularly following the September 2025 raid at Hyundai's Georgia plant where 475 workers were detained, conflicts with their ethical stance. The petition, sent in early September, received over 300 signatures with approximately half anonymous, representing significant internal opposition within the company's approximately 1,400 employees. Boston Dynamics executives maintain the robots will not be weaponized, citing contractual terms prohibiting use to harm or intimidate people or as weapons. The company states it has seen no violations in previous DHS collaborations and would take action including voiding warranties, withholding software updates, terminating licenses, or pursuing legal action if misuse occurs. The dispute centers on the ethical implications of the customer (ICE) rather than the technology itself, with employees objecting to the agency's immigration enforcement practices, including Homeland Security Investigations' role in detaining workers. The company defends its position by stating that if the robots can help keep people safe in dangerous environments, they should be utilized, emphasizing the machines' intended use for hazardous inspections rather than enforcement. The situation raises concerns about potential recruitment challenges and employee morale, as signatories warned the relationship could drive colleagues away. The contract specifies capabilities including radiation and toxic gas sensors, thermal imaging, and an optional robotic arm for tunnel inspections, though these capabilities do not confirm how ICE will deploy the robots. Boston Dynamics has maintained that its terms prevent weaponization and that enforcement mechanisms exist to address potential misuse, but employees remain unconvinced, citing the agency's history of aggressive immigration enforcement.

Protesters outside of Boston Dynamics' offices on Oct. 15. Photo by Joseph Sharkey. Local activist groups are protesting the sale of Boston Dynamics’

ICE awarded RADeCO a $1.3 million contract for four customised Boston Dynamics Spot robots designed to inspect dangerous buildings, tunnels and other confined or hazardous environments.

ICE awarded RADeCO a $1.3 million contract for four customised Boston Dynamics Spot robots designed to inspect dangerous buildings, tunnels and other confined or hazardous environments.

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

Phone: (860) 564-1220 FAX: (860) 564-6631 Headquarters​ 17 West Pkwy Plainfield, CT 06374 UAV and UGV Proving Grounds 8604 Old Ferry Rd, Monroe, NC 28110 Brazil

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

Looking at you, RADeCO, of Plainfield, Conn.

The agency inked the deal with Connecticut company Radeco, which modifies the original machines with military grade add-ons that include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materi...

ICE awarded RADeCO a $1.3 million contract for four customised Boston Dynamics Spot robots designed to inspect dangerous buildings, tunnels and other confined or hazardous environments.