A little over a month before his inauguration, President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive summit for the nation's biggest technology company leaders. Leaders of the very companies who sent executives to the summit are now speaking out about President Trump's immigration ban, according to The Washington Post.
Here's what each of the companies that sent leaders to the summit said in response to the ban.
- Alphabet. Google CEO Sundar Pichai claimed President Trump's order could stop at least 187 foreign-born Google employees from entering the country. "It's painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues," Mr. Pichai wrote in a companywide memo. "We're upset about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the U.S."
- Amazon. "From the very beginning, Amazon has been committed to equal rights, tolerance and diversity — and we always will be," the company wrote in an internal email. "As we've grown the company, we've worked hard to attract talented people from all over the world, and we believe this is one of the things that makes Amazon great — a diverse workforce helps us build better products for customers. Our immediate focus is to make sure you have all the information you need to make travel decisions in the coming days and weeks."
- Apple. In a companywide email, CEO Tim Cook said the company wouldn't exist without immigration because Steve Jobs' biological father was a Syrian immigrant. "Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do," Mr. Cook wrote. "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 concern. It is not a policy we support."
- Cisco. The company hasn't released a statement.
- Facebook. In a recent Facebook post, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stressed that the U.S. should embrace immigration and inclusion. "We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help," Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. "That's who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla [Chan, MD, his wife]'s family wouldn't be here today."
- IBM. IBM wrote in an internal email that it supports immigration. "As IBMers, we have learned, through era after era, that the path forward — for innovation, for prosperity and for civil society — is the path of engagement and openness to the world," the email reads. "Our company will continue to work and advocate for this."
- Intel. The company hasn't released a statement.
- Microsoft. "As an immigrant and as CEO, I've both experienced and seen the positive impact that immigration has on our company, for the country and for the world," CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a LinkedIn post. "We will continue to advocate on this important topic." Additionally, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith wrote in a letter that at least 76 employees will be affected by President Trump's ban, but that Microsoft has contacted them with legal advice.
- Oracle. The company hasn't released a statement.
- Palantir. The company hasn't released a statement.
- Tesla. In a few recent tweets, CEO Elon Musk expressed his disapproval of the order. "The blanket entry on citizens from certain primarily Muslim countries is not the best way to address the country's challenges," one tweet reads. Another says, "Many people negatively affected by this policy are strong supporters of the U.S. They've done right, not wrong & don't deserve to be rejected."