Dear Microsoft Co-workers,
As most of us work from the comforts of our homes, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are taking advantage of this health crisis and actively breaking public health orders to arrest immigrants. With the coronavirus now declared a pandemic, immigrants and other marginalized people are especially vulnerable. Yet in this crisis of public health, ICE continues to detain immigrants in unsanitary and enclosed spaces, putting those immigrants at risk of being infected with the coronavirus.
ICE's horrendous behavior may seem like it's out of our hands. But they're using our company's technology -- the software that we've built -- to do so. Because of this, we have an opportunity and an obligation to speak out.
Microsoft is a company that champions diversity but our leaders have not once responded to the attrocities conducted by ICE. That is why we, the workers of Microsoft, must step up to play an active role in stopping this violence.
In response to these events, Mijente, a digital and grassroots hub for Latinx & Chicanx movement building, is calling for tech companies who supply ICE with their technical infrastructure halt their support for the agency at this time.
As Mijente notes in their petition, "Silicon Valley can take a stand. Stop working for ICE immediately."
Microsoft co-workers, join us in signing and sharing this petition: https://notechforice.com/corona
In Solidarity,
MSWorkers4Good