Microsoft responds to Trump's immigration order
Microsoft has released a general statement of support for immigration in response to Donald Trump's ban -- but without taking on the president directly.
The executive order barring immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries caught some people already en route to the U.S., prompted a large protest at Sea-Tac International and other airports, and brought swift action from a federal judge.
On LinkedIn, CEO Satya Nadella posted a letter sent to employees that says 76 Microsoft workers have visas affected by the ban.
The letter says other workers with green cards may be affected.
The letter from Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal counsel, doesn't pass judgment on Trump's order but does express support for the "dreamers" program for young people who arrived in the U.S. without documents.
Nadella highlighted that section of the letter:
"As a company, Microsoft believes in a strong and balanced high-skilled immigration system. We also believe in broader immigration opportunities, like the protections for talented and law-abiding young people under the Deferred Access for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, often called 'Dreamers'. We believe that immigration laws can and should protect the public without sacrificing people’s freedom of expression or religion. And we believe in the importance of protecting legitimate and law-abiding refugees whose very lives may be at stake in immigration proceedings."
Nadella is a naturalized U.S. citizen who came to this country from India for graduate school.
"As an immigrant and as a CEO, I’ve both experienced and seen the positive impact that immigration has on our company, for the country, and for the world," Nadella wrote.
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Gil Aegerter
Gil edits feature pieces and helps guide staff reporters through their stories. He previously served as interim digital director and online managing editor at KUOW. Before that he spent seven years with NBCNews.com, where he was variously a senior editor, editor-producer and features editor. He also worked 25 years as a newspaper editor in Anchorage, Alaska, San Diego, Wilmington, N.C., and Seattle. He also was a freelance researcher for NBC Olympics for the Games in Atlanta; Sydney, Australia; Salt Lake City; Athens; and Torino, Italy. He is a graduate of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, with a degree in photojournalism.
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