Facebook (FB) founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a status update slamming President Donald Trump’s decision to sign executive orders on immigration.
“Like many of you, I’m concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump,” he wrote.
The post continued: “We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat. Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don’t pose a threat will live in fear of deportation.”
This is a personal matter for Zuckerberg. He noted that his great-grandparents came from Europe and that his wife Priscilla’s family were refugees from China and Vietnam.
Zuckerberg’s Facebook status also came as Trump was unveiling a pair of executive orders, including one reportedly calling for a temporary halt to all refugees.
“Secondly, I’m establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don’t want them here. We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people. We will never forget the lessons of 9-11, nor the heroes who have lost their lives at the Pentagon. They were the best of us. We will honor them not only with our words, but with our actions. And that’s what we’re doing today. I am privileged to be here with you, and I promise that our administration will always have your back. We will always be with you,” Trump said according to a White House press pool report.
Earlier in the week, Trump ordered additional orders aimed to crack down on illegal immigration, including a measure expanding the authority of local law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws, among other policies. Critics say the policy, known as “Secure Communities,” will make victims and other people less likely to cooperate with the police if they are worried about their immigration status. Trump also announced that it was his administration’s policy to immediately begin construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Here’s the full post:
My great grandparents came from Germany, Austria and Poland. Priscilla’s parents were refugees from China and Vietnam. The United States is a nation of immigrants, and we should be proud of that.
Like many of you, I’m concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump.
We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat. Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don’t pose a threat will live in fear of deportation.
We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help. That’s who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla’s family wouldn’t be here today.
That said, I was glad to hear President Trump say he’s going to “work something out” for Dreamers — immigrants who were brought to this country at a young age by their parents. Right now, 750,000 Dreamers benefit from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allows them to live and work legally in the US. I hope the President and his team keep these protections in place, and over the next few weeks I’ll be working with our team at FWD.us to find ways we can help.
I’m also glad the President believes our country should continue to benefit from “people of great talent coming into the country.”
These issues are personal for me even beyond my family. A few years ago, I taught a class at a local middle school where some of my best students were undocumented. They are our future too. We are a nation of immigrants, and we all benefit when the best and brightest from around the world can live, work and contribute here. I hope we find the courage and compassion to bring people together and make this world a better place for everyone.
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Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
