In the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration, Starbucks is serving support for refugees along with its classic cup of joe. At the beginning of the year, Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz committed the company to hiring 10,000 refugees over the next five years. The Huffington Post published a statement made by Schultz, saying the hiring process will initially focus on “those individuals who have served with the U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support.” In addition, the company will start offering free legal advice regarding immigration law to its immigrant employees. Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges says the legal resources provided will be available to both full-time and part-time employees, as well as their families.
The coffee giant’s expansion on its initial hiring efforts comes at the same time as the compilation of 127 tech companies filing a brief against Trump. BGR media reports the brief originally was comprised of 96 tech companies, which was filed late Sunday, February 5. The brief expressed the companies’ opposition to Trump’s executive order barring refugees from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. Some of the biggest names in technology took part in issuing the brief, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Neflix, Facebook, Snap, and Twitter.
USA Today reports the addition of 31 companies to the brief on Monday, February 6. The additional companies include Adobe, Chegg, Evernote, HP, and Pandora Media. The brands most widely used by millennials on college campuses are contributing to the ongoing conversation regarding immigration rights. An interesting continuation of Trump’s executive order saga, as college culture dedicates itself to equipping students with the ability to create dialogues on controversial subjects through traditional and digital mediums.
The original brief filed February 5, refers to immigrants as making “many of the Nation’s greatest discoveries, and create some of the country’s most innovative and iconic companies.” The brief, drafted by the initial 96 tech companies, states that Trump’s executive order on immigration infringes on “American immigration policy [that] has been one of ‘tolerance, equality and openness’.” The advocacy of the 127 tech companies as well as Starbucks immigration resources are providing college students with a way to expand upon their own advocacy efforts. A simple Google search, late night coffee break, or mid-week Netflix binge is, implicitly, a stand for a more accepting and united country.
by Abby Welles