While Tim Cook has yet to publicly address the immigration ban that’s beginning to rile a restive tech industry into speaking out against newly elected President Donald J. Trump, he did send an email to staff explaining Apple’s position.
Buzzfeed first published the memo. Here is a full copy obtained by TechCrunch.
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
The letter was written in Washington, D.C. where Cook and Lisa Jackson, former EPA administrator under Barack Obama and head of Apple’s environmental, policy and social initiatives, were taking meetings with senior Republican and Democratic leaders.
Cook met with Orrin Hatch, the Republican Senator from Utah to discuss the economy and the tech industry’s role in it. Both Cook and Jackson also reportedly met with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over dinner.
The Trump scion has expressed a willingness to address climate change issues in meetings with former Vice President and noted environmentalist, Al Gore, according to published reports.
While Cook has yet to make a public statement, many others in the tech community have vocally and explicitly condemned the new immigration policy set forth in a series of executive orders from the new Trump administration.
