Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken out against U.S. president Donald Trump’s recent action against immigrants and refugees. Tim Cook sent a memo to Apple employees worldwide on Saturday denouncing Trump’s decision to temporarily ban refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, which the President deems as hotbeds of jihadists and terrorists. Tim cook wrote:
“I’ve heard from many of you who are deeply concerned about the executive order issued yesterday. I share your concerns. It is not a policy we support.”
Apple has protested President Trump’s decision. [Image by Zhao jian kang/shutterstock]
Cook further wrote that Apple will continue to welcome everyone, regardless of their national background.
“Apple is open. Open to everyone, no matter where they come from, which language they speak, who they love or how they worship. Our employees represent the finest talent in the world, and our team hails from every corner of the globe.”
Cook wrote that Apple’s HR, Legal and Security team were in the process of assessing which of its employees will be affected by President Trump’s immigration and refugee ban. He wrote that Apple would do everything to support these employees. Cook also wrote that Apple had contacted the White House explaining how this decision would affect the people working in the company.
“As I’ve said many times, diversity makes our team stronger,” Cook wrote in the memo, while also urging all Apple employees to empathize with and support their co-workers who might be affected by Trump’s order.
Cook ended the memo with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King.
“We may have all come on different ships, but we are in the same boat now.”
Cook also declared that he had told officials in Washington about how Apple felt about this decision.
“In my conversations with officials here in Washington this week, I’ve made it clear that Apple believes deeply in the importance of immigration — both to our company and to our nation’s future. Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do.”
Trump’s decision faced a lot of backlash from leaders of the tech industry, with the likes of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Lyft CEO Logan Green, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, among others, denouncing his restrictions on Muslim refugees and immigrants. It isn’t clear as of yet how this decision could affect immigrants from these countries living in the United States with a Green Card or an H-1B type visa. Ava Benach, a partner at Benach Collopy LLP, a law firm that specializes in immigration, says that the firm had advised all of its clients from the seven countries with green cards or H-1B visa not to travel outside the U.S for a while, warning them that Trump’s order, which would be taking effect immediately, could affect them.
President Donald Trump signed the controversial order on Friday, January 27. [Image by Pool/Getty Images]
Trump says that his decision will ensure the safety of American people from terrorist attacks, arguing that the temporary ban will deter radical Islamist terrorists from coming to the United States. Furthermore, the President made it clear that the ban was only temporary and during the period of the ban, immigration officials would work to insure a more efficient vetting process for immigrants and refugees coming in from these countries. Trump justifies his overall decision, claiming:
“We don’t want to admit the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those that support our country and love, deeply, our people.”
I promise that our administration will ALWAYS have your back. We will ALWAYS be with you! pic.twitter.com/D0aOWhOH4X
