Those individuals are low-risk and face immediate hardship as a result of last week’s order, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a letter Thursday to the secretaries of State and Homeland Security. Smith said he believes the two officials are empowered to take the steps, Bloomberg reported.
"We believe such an exception under the existing framework of the Executive Order would help address compelling personal needs without compromising the Executive Order’s security-related objectives," Smith wrote in the letter and a related blog post.
Microsoft has 76 employees who, together with their 41 dependents, have nonimmigrant visas to live and work in the United States and are impacted by the Executive Order.