In memo to employees, Tim Cook says Trump’s immigration order is ‘not a policy we support’

Joining a variety of tech leaders in doing so, Tim Cook today told Apple employees in a memo that the company does not support the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump to limit immigration from foreign countries to the United States. In the memo, obtained by The Verge, Cook explains that the order simply is “not a policy we support.”

Cook states in the memo that employees affected by the executive orders have been contacted by Apple human resources, legal, and security teams. Additionally, the company has reached out to the White House in an effort to explain the effect the executive orders have on its employees and Apple as a whole.

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.

Earlier this morning, we reported that Cook had been making the rounds in Washington D.C. this past week, meeting with influential senators and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner with his wife Ivanka Trump.

Cook’s memo sheds a little more light on those meetings, with the Apple CEO explaining that he made it clear to officials that Apple believes “deeply in the importance of immigration.”

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.

Cook and Apple have long been a proponent of immigration and today’s memo furthers that support.

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.

President Trump on Friday signed an executive order that suspends the entry of all refugees to the United States for 120 days. Additionally, refugees from Syria have been banned for an indefinite amount of times, while citizens from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Syria, and Yemen are banned from entering the United States altogether for 90 days.

Earlier today, Google’s Sundar Pichai spoke out against the immigration policies set forth by President Trump, as well. Read more on that at 9to5Google. The full memo from Cook is below:

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