Apple CEO Tim Cook urges Congress to pass Dreamer bill

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday urged lawmakers to pass immigration reform to create a path to citizenship for Dreamers.

The Apple chief executive made the request in a letter written on behalf of Business Roundtable, an organization of prominent business leaders. It continues a long line of advocacy for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers.

"Dreamers have been on the frontlines of fighting the pandemic as healthcare workers, of caring for our communities, and of working in the disciplines and industries that will help America emerge stronger on the other side of COVID-19," Cook wrote.

The letter is in reference to the American Dream and Promise Act, which was brought to the floor Wednesday. It's a piece of legislation that would create a path to citizenship for about 2.5 million Dreamers.

Cook has long been an outspoken advocate for Dreamers. Earlier in 2020, he praised President Joe Biden on behalf of Business Roundtable for working to preserve the Differed Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.

The full statement penned by Cook is available below.

Dreamers— who came to America as children and who know it as their only home— make invaluable contributions to America and certainly to companies like ours. Dreamers have been on the frontlines of fighting the pandemic as healthcare workers, of caring for our communities, and of working in the disciplines and industries that will help America emerge stronger on the other side of COVID-19. As we work to reinvigorate the U.S. economy, we need their continued contributions as equal partners in the American story, and we urge Members on both sides of the aisle to vote in support of the American Dream and Promise Act to help make that possible.

The vast majority of Americans believe that standing up for Dreamers should be a priority. Once the American Dream and Promise Act moves forward, the Business Roundtable urges policymakers to prioritize bipartisan and practical solutions to fix our broken immigration system, enforce the rule of law and respond to the pressing challenges we face.