A former Meta employee, laid off in a recent round of redundancies, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to internal communications seen by WIRED. The incident occurred shortly after the company cut nearly 10% of its workforce – or around 8,000 people – as it seeks efficiency.

Employees believe their colleague was being detained in El Paso, Texas, near a major US-Mexico border crossing. The detention raises questions about the intersection of corporate layoffs and immigration enforcement, especially for workers on H-1B visas.

“Many international employees at US tech companies work on H-1B visas,” explains one insider. “These are tied to a specific employer so when you change jobs, you often need to adjust your paperwork.” The lack of clarity about the worker’s status has sparked concerns among Meta staff who fear for their colleagues.

The incident marks a rare known instance since President Trump increased immigration enforcement efforts in 2017. In response, a small community of Meta employees is demanding more support from the company to protect immigrant workers and contractors at risk of detention or deportation by ICE.