On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court declaring opposition to efforts by Donald Trump’s administration to end the federal ‘Dreamer’ program which protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants who brought into the country as kids.
“Among those people are hundreds of DACA recipients who had no say in the decision to travel to this country and have known no other home,” the brief stated.
“They spark creativity and help drive innovation. They are among our most driven and selfless colleagues,” read the brief.
Reuters reports that “Cook’s brief is likely to be one of many filed in support of DACA recipients in the coming days ahead of a Friday deadline.”
The brief was filed on behalf of the company and Cook as an individual as well as Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and people. The company said it has 443 employees who have benefited from the program, which was implemented in 2012 by the Republican Trump’s Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.
Cook has previously criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including his plan to end the program, but has generally maintained a close relationship with the president. They have dined together at least twice and Cook has regularly spoken with Trump about the economic impact of U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made goods.
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Nov. 12 over Trump’s 2017 plan to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump’s move to rescind DACA was blocked by lower courts.
The program currently shields about 700,000 immigrants often called “Dreamers,” mostly Hispanic young adults, from deportation and provides them work permits, though not a path to citizenship.
Apple CEO Cook opposes Trump, backs ‘dreamer’ immigrants in Supreme Court [reuters.com