Reddit Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham are among a growing number of people condemning the Donald Trump administration's 2025 ICE deportation operations.
Paul Graham Decries ‘Masked Thugs' Dragging People Off The Street
Earlier this week, Graham took to on X, formerly Twitter, and criticized the government's immigration enforcement tactics.
"Later we'll find it hard to believe that masked thugs were dragging people off the street at gunpoint," Graham wrote. "At least I hope we will, since the other alternative would be to decline into the kind of country where that's normal."
His post referred to widely circulated footage of ICE officers conducting aggressive deportations under the Trump administration's new initiative to ramp up removals of undocumented immigrants.
Civil rights groups have documented erroneous detentions of U.S. citizens and family separations during the raids.
Alexis Ohanian Shares Personal Story About How Reddit Wouldn't Exist If…
Responding to Graham's post, Ohanian shared that his mother was once an undocumented immigrant who overstayed an au pair visa before marrying his father, a U.S. citizen.
"Reddit wouldn't exist if ICE had come for her," Ohanian said, adding that his family's story shows how undocumented immigrants "can have some pretty productive kids," referring to Reddit's over $38 billion market cap.
Ohanian also said that he supports border security, but it "shouldn't come at the cost of crushing lives."
He called for "smart borders + humane immigration reform," including a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented immigrants after background checks and waiting periods.
"This isn't open borders," he wrote. "It's order and accountability — those who don't step forward should face enforcement under due process."
Mark Cuban And Zach Bryan Add To The National Debate
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban also weighed in this month, saying, "Illegal is illegal. No way around it. But the data says they contribute more than they take."
He proposed increasing funding for voluntary self-deportation programs, calling it "the only humane option so far."
Meanwhile, Grammy-winning musician Zach Bryan faced backlash after posting a song clip referencing ICE raids.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, mocked him on X, writing, "Stick to Pink Skies, dude," referencing his 2024 hit single.
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