By Trendsetter Tribune 
French tech giant Capgemini is selling its U.S. subsidiary after criticism over a $365 million contract with ICE to track undocumented immigrants.
French multinational Capgemini announced it is immediately selling its U.S. unit, Capgemini Government Solutions (CGS), following concerns from French lawmakers and the finance minister over the subsidiary’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The contract, worth up to $365 million over two years, involved tracking 1.5 million undocumented immigrants using a mix of remote technologies and in-person surveillance. CGS was set to lead the program, but the parent company said it could not maintain “appropriate control” to ensure alignment with the group’s objectives. Capgemini also noted the contract is not currently being executed.
The decision comes amid growing scrutiny of companies working with ICE. International firms, including Canada’s Jim Pattison Group and social media company Hootsuite, have faced protests and political pressure over their U.S. government contracts.
Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said the independent directors of CGS were reviewing the ICE contract. He acknowledged the parent company only recently learned full details of the program due to firewalls protecting classified work. “The nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm,” Ezzat said.
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure had called for transparency on the contract, questioning the ethical implications of using technology to track undocumented immigrants.
Requests for comment from ICE, Capgemini, Jim Pattison Group, and Hootsuite were not immediately returned.