Popular American coffee company Starbucks plans to hire 10,000 refugees across the world over the next five years after United States President Donald Trump imposed a sweeping travel ban on refugees and immigrants, the head of Starbucks said on Sunday.
Starbucks chairman and chief executive Howard Schultz wrote a letter to his employees on the company's website stating that he has deep concerns, but a resolute promise for the refugees.
"I write to you today with deep concern, a heavy heart and a resolute promise. We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country, and the promise of the American Dream, being called into question," Schultz wrote in the letter.
The company chief said that Starbucks has been in touch with all its employees who have been affected by Trump's executive order, which was signed on Friday, causing immediate worldwide protest against it.
Trump's executive actions on extreme vetting and visa ban applies to migrants, refugees and US legal residents — green-card holders — from Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Libya and Yemen. There is an indefinite ban on the arrival of Syrian refugees.
The CEO said that the company's initial hiring process would focus on those refugees who have assisted US troops as interpreters and support American personnel in various countries.
"And we will start this effort here in the US by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with US troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support," he said.
Schultz, a Republican, also denounced Trump's plan to construct a wall along the southern borders of Mexico and the United States. Trump had recently said that the government is planning to levy a 20 percent import tax on all the goods coming from Mexico to help pay for the construction of the wall.
"Building bridges, not walls, with Mexico. We stand ready to help and support our Mexican customers, partners and their families as they navigate what impact proposed trade sanctions, immigration restrictions and taxes might have on their business and their trust of Americans."
Schultz also defended Mexico, which Trump has said will have to pay for a wall along its long and porous border with the United States to deter immigrants. Mexico has provided coffee to Starbucks for three decades, and nearly 600 Starbucks in the country employ 7,000 people.
"We stand ready to help and support our Mexican customers, partners and their families as they navigate what impact proposed trade sanctions, immigration restrictions and taxes might have on their business and their trust of Americans. But we will continue to invest in this critically important market all the same. But we will continue to invest in this critically important market all the same," he wrote.
