Tech:NYC released the following statement today after President Trump announced a plan to suspend immigration:

“Our need for creative problem solvers has never been greater, and slamming the door shut on talented people who could be instrumental in helping the country through this crisis is nothing less than a failure of leadership. The challenges we’re facing — both right now and those just beginning to emerge — require a diversity of ideas and people to overcome, and rejecting that will set us back at a time when we must move forward.

American companies and communities have been made stronger by immigration — immigrants have founded and helped build our most successful companies, and our country relies heavily on foreign-born healthcare workers currently on the frontlines of our hospitals. If we are to bounce back from this crisis stronger than we were before, it’s imperative that we continue to welcome them.”

-Julie Samuels, Executive Director, Tech:NYC

Photo credit: New York; statue of liberty in the sunset by cla78/Shutterstock