In his first week in office, President Donald Trump launched several controversial initiatives, including the abolishment of former President Barack Obama's programs on healthcare and housing, the order to build the promised wall between the United States and Mexico, and the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Arguably the most polarizing orders by Trump, however, are the suspension of the Syrian refugee program and the travel ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries looking to enter the United States, even if they have the proper legal documents.
Several tech companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Facebook have denounced the immigration ban, with CEOs Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg releasing statements against Trump's order.
Microsoft Calls For Exceptions To Immigration Ban
Continuing the tech industry's response, Microsoft has released a letter, penned by the company's President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith, which urges for possible exceptions under the immigration ban.
Microsoft noted that Trump have the Secretaries of State and the Department of Homeland Security authority to give exceptions to issue visas and immigration benefits to individuals affected by the immigration ban on a case-to-case basis. The company, through the letter, has filed a formal request for the creation of a process for the granting of such exceptions.
According to Microsoft, 76 of its employees were affected by the travel ban, together with their 41 dependents. The proposals published by Microsoft, however, will not only cater to the needs of these individuals but also to the many other that have been affected by Trump's order.
Microsoft's Proposal For Exceptions
In Microsoft's proposed terms for exceptions to be granted under the immigration band, the first criteria is that the individual should fall into one of three categories: a holder of a valid non-immigrant working visa and sponsored by an employer within the United States and enrolled in the E-Verify program to ensure that the visa is being responsibly used; a holder of a student visa and enrolled with good standing in an accredited university in the United States; or an immediate family member of one of these individuals and a holder of a derivative non-immigrant visa.
The second criteria for the individual to be granted the exception is that he or she should have no criminal records in the United States.
For applications to leave the United States and re-enter, the purpose of the travel should either be an emergency involving a family member abroad or for business concerns. The travel should not last longer than two weeks, and business trips will not pass through the countries involved in the immigration ban.
Will Trump Listen?
According to Smith, the proposal issued by Microsoft will not solve all the issues that have been brought forward by Trump's order for an immigration ban. However, there is a need and opportunity for immediate action to address the needs of affected individuals.
There is no word on whether the proposal has been received by Trump, the Secretaries of State, and the Department of Homeland Security, nor is there a hint on whether the terms are being considered by the administration.
