Tech firms in Silicon Valley have stepped up their opposition to the executive order on immigration enacted by President Donald Trump with a joint filing to the order, as legal battles continue to intensify over the controversial policy. The tech firms involved in the legal action include Airbnb, Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, Uber, Google, and Apple. An amicus brief was submitted on Sunday night to the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals. Dropbox, GoPro, Yelp, and eBay were among the other signatories.
The brief complains that the executive order makes it more expensive and difficult for companies in the US to look for, hire, and keep some of the best employees in the world. This is causing disruptions to business and threatening their ability to bring business, investment, and talent into the country.
Executives in the tech industry have been among the most prominent opponents of the immigration ban in the corporate world. On Monday, Google employees staged a walkout in their thousands, with the internet company pledging to match up to as much as $2 million in donations from staff to support immigrant refugees. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, says they do not support the policy, noting that Steve Jobs, the company’s co-founder, was himself the child of a Syrian immigrant.
Last week, Microsoft asked the White House to create an exemption program for holders of US visas affected by the President’s executive order. Both the rhetoric and legal maneuvering over the ban continued at the weekend.