Microsoft may be forced to move jobs from the US because of decisions made in Washington, according to Brad Smith, the president and chief legal officer of the company. Big technology companies have been among the main critics of the tough immigration stance adopted by the Trump administration because they rely on skilled immigrant workers from across the world.
Smith has previously opposed attempts to close down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, created by President Barack Obama back in 2012 to give legal protections to young undocumented immigrants who came to the US illegally while they were underage. Microsoft has made clear its support for DACA and immigration, in general, to ensure that US companies can hire talented people.
In an interview with CNBC’s Akiko Fujita on Wednesday, Smith said the company is especially concerned about several specific immigration questions that seem to be up for debate within Washington, particularly the Trump administration’s proposal to revoke the work authorization of spouses of non-immigrants with H-1B US visas and a rule enabling international STEM graduates from American universities to work in the country while applying for their work visa.
The Trump administration has already tightened some requirements for the latter program but Smith claims that further changes could cause hundreds of employees to no longer be able to work in the US, leaving Microsoft no alternative than to assist them to find work elsewhere.