Tim Cook of Apple on Trump’s immigration order: ‘It is not a policy we support’

Apple CEO Tim Cook has not made any public statement over President Trump’s Executive Order visa-suspension for people from seven Muslim-majority countries, but he has given an indication of his beliefs in an email to employees.

The gay CEO of the world’s biggest company wrote a memo Saturday, re-printed by Buzzfeed yesterday, which said:

‘Team,

‘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.

‘I’ve heard from many of you who are deeply concerned about the executive order issued yesterday restricting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. I share your concerns. It is not a policy we support.

‘There are employees at Apple who are directly affected by yesterday’s immigration order. Our HR, Legal and Security teams are in contact with them, and Apple will do everything we can to support them. We’re providing resources on AppleWeb for anyone with questions or concerns about immigration policies. And we have reached out to the White House to explain the negative effect on our coworkers and our company.

‘As I’ve said many times, diversity makes our team stronger. And if there’s one thing I know about the people at Apple, it’s the depth of our empathy and support for one another. It’s as important now as it’s ever been, and it will not weaken one bit. I know I can count on all of you to make sure everyone at Apple feels welcome, respected and valued.

‘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.

‘In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “We may have all come on different ships, but we are in the same boat now.”

Tim’

Steve Jobs

Trump’s Executive Order suspends the U.S. Refugee Admission Program (USRAP) for four months and indefinitely denies admission to all Syrian refugees. It also places a visa suspension on individuals with passports from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Apple’s was co-founded and built into the world’s biggest company by the late tech entrepreneur Steve Jobs (Cook’s predecessor as CEO).

Jobs was adopted at birth. His biological father, Abdulfattah ‘John’ Jandali, is a Syrian immigrant to the US who grew up in a Muslim-household in Homs.

‘We engage when we agree and we engage when we disagree’

Cook was among several tech leaders who publicly met with Trump’s transition team in December to discuss how the new administration might support the tech industries. He told Apple staff at the time he wanted to engage with the Trump team to make his voice heard.

‘Personally, I’ve never found being on the sideline a successful place to be.

‘The way that you influence these issues is to be in the arena. So whether it’s in this country, or the European Union, or in China or South America, we engage. And we engage when we agree and we engage when we disagree.’

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