CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves has joined a growing chorus of entertainment and media executive criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves has joined a growing chorus of entertainment and media executive criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
“I’ m very concerned about the impact this decision will have on the young, undocumented immigrants who dared to dream of a future in America, were promised safety here, and are an important part of our economic life, ” Moonves said in a statement Wednesday. “I urge Washington to pass legislation that protects these young people who were raised in our country and had every reason to rely on our goodwill and support.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday said that President Donald Trump’s administration would “wind down” DACA. The program, enacted under President Barack Obama, protects children who came to the U. S. with their undocumented parents. Following Sessions’ announcement, Trump asked Congress to pass legislation to address the status of those affected by the program’s end, which would not occur for another six months.
The decision to rescind DACA opens the door to the potential deportation of as many as 800,000 people who had been covered by the program.
The move generated criticism from a number of chief executives. Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger called the reversal “cruel and misguided.” Comcast-owned NBCUniversal division Telemundo said the company was “disheartened” by the decision, while Comcast issued a statement Wednesday from its chief diversity officer David L. Cohen saying that the company was “disappointed.” Viacom CEO Bob Bakish signed a letter from business leaders urging Trump not to end the program — and was joined by other executives such as AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
