Facebook and Airbnb CEOs object
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, said on Facebook: “We need to stop this policy right now.”
Zuckerberg started a fundraiser for the Texas Civil Rights project which raised approximately $17,000 during its first few hours. When asked why he personally did not donate more, Zuckerberg said that he had already invested a lot in the issue and many others wanted to know how they could get involved too and this project enabled them to do so.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky was one of the first CEOs to get involved. On Monday he tweeted: “Ripping children from their parents’ arms is cruel. This policy must end.”
Twitter and Google CEOs also object
Jack Dorsey CEO of Twitter tweeted: ” Do everything it takes to #KeepFamilesTogether. What are the highest impact ways to help?”
Sundar Pichal CEO of Google also tweeted: “The stories and images of families being separated at the border are gut-wrenching. Urging our government to work together to find a better, more humane way that is reflective of our values as a nation. #keepfamiliestogether”
YouTube and Uber CEOs also speak out
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said in her tweet: “Regardless of your politics, it’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening to families at the border. Here are some ways you can help: 7 activist groups supporting families at the border that need your help right now. Here’s how to help the many immigrant families being separated. mashable.com”
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, also expressed her views on the issue: “As a father, a citizen and an immigrant myself, the stories coming from our border break my heart. Families are the backbone of society. A policy that pulls them apart rather than building them up is immoral and just plain wrong. #KeepFamiliesTogether https://wapo.st/2M38e73?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.a97a5886cfba …”
Several other CEOs also expressed critical views on the Trump policy.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has made extensive statements
He told the Irish Times that the policy was inhumane: “It’s heartbreaking to see the images and hear the sounds of the kids. Kids are the most vulnerable people in any society. I think that what’s happening is inhumane. It needs to stop.”
Cook also said: “We’ve always felt everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. In this case, that’s not happening. This one in particular is just heartbreaking and tragic.” Cook said that he had spoken with Trump on several issues and had found he had listened but he also found that he will not agree on all things.
There has been a rise in family separations since April with nearly 2,000 children being separated from their families through April and May according to the Department of Homeland Security. This was after the U.S. Justice Department began to implement a zero tolerance policy for border-crossing offences. Recent audio of children crying at one of the facilities obtained by ProPublica spread rapidly on social media and stirred up even more outrage at the separations as have photos and videos of the facilities. The appended video shows one of the facilities in Texas.
