U.S : Let's make sure MICROSOFT knows its ICE problem isn't going away.

Dear friend, 

Microsoft is trying to ride out the public pressure and maintain its $19.4 million contract with ICE.

It’s been almost a month since Microsoft employees sent an open letter to CEO Satya Nadella asking him to stop enabling the separation and detention of families and we have not seen any real action from Nadella yet.¹ Since the movement to cancel contracts and #abolishICE has gotten louder and stronger, Microsoft executives have denied their complicity in supporting the bureaucratic and technical needs of the federal agency.² Meanwhile McKinsey & Company, a management consulting corporation with a $20 million contract with ICE, decided to pull out of it.³ And so did the sheriff of Contra Costa county, who decided to cancel the county's jail contract with ICE, in California.⁴ 

We need to turn up the public pressure on Microsoft. Will you send this tweet to them?

Now is the time to push Microsoft to act. Last week, our movement has seen some victories. This week, Microsoft is hosting one of its biggest events of the year-- MS Inspire. Business partners from across the country are gathering together to share best practices. Microsoft is featuring Azure, the service that ICE is contracted to use. ⁵ One session is specifically devoted to "pitch and sell mission critical solutions to business decision makers in defense and intelligence." ⁶ If we can show Microsoft executives that we aren't letting this go and we won't let them pursue business as usual, we can get them to take our demands seriously.

Tweet at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella using #CancelTheContract and #MSInspire.

Until justice is real, 

Clarise, Rashad, Scott, Arisha, Anay, Kristen, Marena, Tamar, Daniel, Lorran and the rest of the Color Of Change team

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References :

1. "Microsoft Employees Protest Work With ICE, as Tech Industry Mobilizes Over Immigration." New York Times, 19 June 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/65480?t=7&akid=15119%2E1942551%2EUUgYzh
2. "Federal agencies continue to advance capabilities with Azure Government." 24 January 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/75176?t=9&akid=15119%2E1942551%2EUUgYzh
3. "McKinsey Ends Work With ICE Amid Furor Over Immigration Policy." New York Times, 9 July 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/75177?t=11&akid=15119%2E1942551%2EUUgYzh
4. "Contra Costa County cuts ties with ICE, ending contract for jailing immigrant detainees." Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2018. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/75221?t=13&akid=15119%2E1942551%2EUUgYzh
5. "As cloud competition heats up, Microsoft will pitch its partners on new Azure and Power BI features." Geekwire, 12 July 2018.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/75093?t=15&akid=15119%2E1942551%2EUUgYzh
6. "IND33 - Empowered by innovation in defense and intelligence." Microsoft, 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/75004?t=17&akid=15119%2E1942551%2EUUgYzh

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Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.