Loading ...Apple CEO Tim Cook on Trump’s Muslim ban: ‘Apple would not exist without immigration ... It is not a policy we support.’
BY KARA SWISHER AND INA FRIED
recode
Apple CEO Tim Cook became the latest tech industry leader to speak out against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday.
“Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do,” wrote Cook in an email to Apple staff obtained by Recode. “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.”
Cook quoted Dr. Martin Luther King in the note to employees: “In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, ‘We may have all come on different ships, but we are in the same boat now.’”
Not according to Trump, who has targeted a single group of people purely based on their religion.
Tech industry leaders, even those opposed to Trump, had been largely taking a silent wait-and-see approach, even though he had signaled that an immigration ban was his intent during the campaign.
“He’s bluffing,” one top tech exec said to me.
Um, no, he was not. So, after letting Trump run roughshod all over them for months, some started speaking out Friday following an executive order from President Trump that banned entry to the U.S. for citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries.
Cook previously met with Trump both individually and as part of a group of tech industry leaders. Afterward, Cook sent a memo to Apple employees defending the engagement, saying, “Personally, I’ve never found being on the sideline a successful place to be.”
The Apple CEO spent Thursday and Friday making the rounds in D.C., meeting with senators, dining with the president’s daughter and son-in-law as well as Trump’s nominee to be Veterans Affairs secretary. Tonight, Cook is slated to be at the ritzy Alfalfa Club dinner, an event attended by many of the Washington elite (although Trump has decided not to attend).
Cook’s email to employees comes as Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other tech leaders have finally started to speak out against Trump on this policy.
Here is the entire letter to Apple employees:
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
