Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein became the first major Wall Street leader to speak out against President Donald Trump's order to halt arrivals from several Muslim-majority countries.
In a voicemail to employees on Sunday, Blankfein said diversity was a hallmark of Goldman's success, and if the temporary freeze became permanent, it could create "disruption" for the bank and its staff.
"This is not a policy we support, and I would note that it has already been challenged in federal court, and some of the order has been enjoined at least temporarily," Blankfein said, according to a transcript seen by Reuters.
Most U.S. corporate bosses have stayed silent on Trump's immigration curbs, underscoring the sensitivities around opposing policies that could provoke a backlash from the White House.
While Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Facebook Inc. emailed their staff to denounce the order, many of their counterparts in other industries either declined to comment or responded with company statements reiterating their commitment to diversity.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s operating committee, which includes CEO Jamie Dimon, avoided directly denouncing the policy. In a note to staff over the weekend, the firm said it was reaching out all employees affected and noted that the country was "strengthened by the rich diversity of the world around us."
Other banks, including Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo & Co., said they were reviewing the executive order and its implication on staff.
Representatives for Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. declined to comment, as did those for stock exchange operators Bats Global Markets and Nasdaq Inc.
New York Stock Exchange and its parent, Intercontinental Exchange Inc did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The U.S. hedge fund industry was also virtually silent on the immigration restrictions. Representatives for most major firms—including Bridgewater Associates, Renaissance Technologies, Millennium Management and Two Sigma Investments—did not respond to requests for comment over the weekend.