Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook unite to draft letter against Trump’s immigration ban

It seems big tech is finally coming together to address President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration executive order.

Recode reports Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Stripe, Uber and others are currently in the process of sketching a joint letter opposing the recently instituted travel ban, restricting Syrian refugees and citizens of seven other Muslim-majority countries from entry to the US.

Speaking to Recode, a source said that while tech companies currently lead the initiative, the plan is to include parties from other industries

Sources told Recode tech companies are leading the initiative but the plan is to include parties from other industries.

BREAKING: Big tech giants like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook along with CPG, manufacturing cos working on letter opposing Trump ban

— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) February 2, 2017

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The publication has also obtained and shared a copy of the draft. Here’s the full letter:

Dear President Trump,

Since the country’s birth, America has been the land of opportunity – welcoming newcomers and giving them the chance to build families, careers, and businesses in the United States. We are a nation made stronger by immigrants. As entrepreneurs and business leaders, our ability to grow our companies and create jobs depends on the contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds.

We share your goal of ensuring that our immigration system meets today’s security needs and keeps our country safe. We are concerned, however, that your recent executive order will affect many visa holders who work hard here in the United States and contribute to our country’s success. In a global economy, it is critical that we continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world. We welcome the changes your administration has made in recent days in how the Department of Homeland Security will implement the executive order, and we stand ready to help your administration identify other opportunities to ensure that our employees can travel with predictability and without undue delay.

Our nation’s compassion is a part of what makes it exceptional, and we are committed to helping your administration identify approaches for thorough screening without a blanket suspension of admissions under the U.S. Refugee Admissions program. While security and vetting procedures can and should always be subject to continuous evaluation and improvement, a blanket suspension is not the right approach.

Similarly, we stand ready to identify ways of helping to achieve your stated goal of bringing clarity to the future of the 750,000 Dreamers in this country under the protections of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in a way “that will make people happy and proud.” Removing these protections by barring renewals would effectively end the program and eliminate the ability for these Dreamers to work and live without the fear of deportation.

The business community shares your commitment to growing the American economy and expanding job creation across the country. We hire both thousands of Americans and some of the most talented people from abroad, who work together to help our companies succeed and expand our overall employment. As you contemplate changes to the nation’s complex and interconnected immigration policies, whether business and employment-based visas, refugees, or DACA, we hope that you will use us as a resource to help achieve immigration policies that both support the work of American businesses and reflect American values.

Thousands of Googlers across different states took it to the streets to voice out their disapproval of the travel ban on Monday. Amazon and Microsoft similarly showed sympathy for immigrants by backing a lawsuit against the order earlier this week. Yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook also expressed readiness to oppose the immigration ban in case the Trump administration continues to refuse to rescind the order.

While titans of the tech industry had already taken vocal stances against Trump’s anti-immigration order, the letter marks the very first time their individual efforts have turned into a united front.