Starbucks faces backlash in response to refugee hiring plan

Starbucks this week is facing boycott calls after CEO Howard Schultz said the organization would work to hire 10,00 refugees around the world.

The announcement came in the wake of President Trump’s executive order that denies entry into the U.S. to refugees and citizens of seven Muslim countries.

Schultz wasn’t alone in his opposition to Trump’s immigration ban. He and several tech industry leaders sought to reassure their employees that they do not support the ban and—as is the case with fellow Seattle companies Microsoft and Amazon—would actively fight it.

“We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country, and the promise of the American Dream, being called into question,” Schultz wrote in a letter to Starbucks employees.

While Schultz was clear that his plan was to hire refugees around the world, many interpreted his remarks to be anti-American and urged him instead—in that unique way that social media users love—to hire Americans, particularly American veterans.