Ford Comes Out Strong Against President Trump’s Travel Ban
CEO Mark Fields and chairman Bill Ford aren’t having it.
The Blue Oval isn't feeling the White House's latest moves on immigration. Ford is speaking out in opposition to President Donald Trump's travel ban, denouncing it in no uncertain terms in a statement released today by both CEO Mark Fields and executive chairman Bill Ford.
"Respect for all people is a core value of Ford Motor Company, and we are proud of the rich diversity of our company here at home and around the world," the statement reads. "That is why we do not support this policy or any other that goes against our values as a company."
In the statement, Ford said that it is not yet aware of any employees who will be directly affected by the policy.
Arab-Americans make up almost 30 percent of the population of Ford Motor Company's hometown of Dearborn, Michigan, according to the 2000 census, giving the city the largest percentage of that group in the U.S. The company is the largest employer there, with roughly 44,000 employees in the city, according to Dearborn's 2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
CEO Mark Fields Stands by His Words Against Trump's Ban
Fields doubled down on his opposition to Trump's position in an interview with Business Insider published today. "All of our policies, including our human-resource policies, support a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we don't support policies that are counter to our values," Fields said.
His statement goes to show the tumultuous relationship between America's automakers and the new resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Fields, along with General Motors CEO Mary Barra and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne, attended a breakfast meeting with President Trump last week which the Ford CEO described as "a very, very positive meeting."
As of this article's publication, General Motors and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles have not released any statement on the travel ban, which bars residents of seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States for 90 days, prevents new refugees from arriving in the U.S. for 120 days, and bars Syrian refugees for the foreseeable future.
