Friday night, Donald Trump signed a presidential order banning access to the US for citizens of 7 countries that he considers to be full of terrorists. Even if the people from these countries had green cards, or dreams for access to the USA, some were detained in the American airports when they landed after the signing of the order.
Donald Trump's measure is unprecedented in recent decades, and Apple and Google publicly oppose the new immigration policy of the new American president. Google has already asked employees from various countries to return to the US while they still can, and Apple is following a similar strategy, with Tim Cook stating that he does not support Donald Trump's policy.
In a letter sent to employees last night, Tim Cook stated that employees who are affected by this presidential order will receive the full support of Apple. Moreover, the company complained to the White House about the implications of this order, and of course it is not the only one, but Donald Trump probably won't care.
Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Syria and Yemen are the 7 countries whose citizens cannot enter the US territory for 90 days regardless of what kind of documents they have. Separately, refugees are banned from entering the US for 120 days, while all Syrian refugees are permanently banned from entering the US.
Basically, Donald Trump has completely closed the borders of people from countries where ISIS, and various other terrorist organizations, control vast areas of land and a large number of citizens.
"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 won't 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"
