Microsoft has asked the Trump administration to set up a formal exemption process for its recent immigration ban. President and chief legal officer Brad Smith laid out the company’s request in an open letter, proposing what Microsoft calls an exemption for “responsible known travelers with pressing needs,” sponsored by a US company or university. It would allow visa holders from the seven countries affected by Trump’s ban to safely travel outside the US without fear of being denied reentry, on the understanding that they will travel for periods of less than two weeks for either business purposes or family emergencies.

Smith says that Microsoft’s request shouldn’t be considered a fix for the executive order, which a spokesperson p…

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