Donald Trump has taken a hard stance against immigration, and Microsoft has made its opposition clear. In January, it criticized his decision to ban immigration from seven middle eastern countries. It then launched a joint lawsuit to protect the rights of its employees.
Now, reports from Fox suggest Trump will make good on another of his campaign promises. The current administration will allegedly repeal DACA, an Obama-era program that protects the children of illegal immigrants.
An official says ‘dreamers’ will remain in the U.S. only until their work permit expires – a maximum of two years. Once more, Microsoft has been quick to respond to this matter.
Brad Smith, the company’s chief legal officer, penned a blog post titled ‘DREAMers make our country and community stronger’.
“Ending DACA will drastically disrupt the lives of these individuals who willingly came forward to register with the federal government,” he explains. “They could lose their jobs and risk deportation. This repeal will also have significant economic consequences. Studies estimate that ending the program could cost the American economy $460.3 billion in GDP (gross domestic product) and $24.6 billion in Social Security and Medicare tax contributions over the course of a decade.”
He also highlighted Microsoft’s own stake in this. It currently has 27 employees that benefit from DACA, including software engineers, finance professionals, and retail associates.
“Our country has always been a beacon of opportunity,” he adds. “If we are determined to preserve American leadership and excellence, let’s build lasting solutions that extend dignity and opportunity while promoting our country’s economic prosperity.”
From Immigrant to CEO
CEO Satya Nadella took to LinkedIn to offer a more personal take on the reports. Speaking from his own experience, he said:
“I am a product of two uniquely American attributes: the ingenuity of American technology reaching me where I was growing up, fueling my dreams, and the enlightened immigration policy that allowed me to pursue my dreams. There is no question in my mind that a priority must be to create more jobs and opportunity for every American citizen. On top of this, smart immigration can help our economic growth and global competitiveness.”
He stated full support for the DREAMers who work at Microsoft, repeating the company’s values of diversity and economic opportunity for all.
“This is the America that I know and of which I am a proud citizen,” he closed. “This is the America that I love and that my family and I call home. And this is the America that I will always advocate for.”
Sources say Trump may announce the repeal today, but Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says he’s yet to add final approval.
