It\u2019s not often that you\u2019ll find the tech industry in agreement over something, but from Alphabet to Uber, the criticism against Donald Trump\u2019s immigration ban has been the same. Since the President signed the executive order blocking entry to the US for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, Silicon Valley has fought against the move with words and actions.
Google was one of the first to react to Trump’s actions. CEO Sundar Pichai told staff traveling overseas that may be impacted by the order to return to the US immediately. In a note to employees, Pichai said nearly 200 Google workers are affected by the ban.
\u00ab\u00a0It\u2019s painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues,\u00a0\u00bb Pichai wrote. \u00ab\u00a0We\u2019ve always made our view on immigration issues known publicly and will continue to do so. \u00a0\u00bb
That time I fled Communist Romania to a refugee camp in Austria, came to America, & years later became an exec @Google creating 10ks of jobs https:\/\/t.co\/iaerM5gLHc
Google has now created a $4 million \u201ccrisis fund\u201d that will be donated to four organizations: the ACLU, Immigrant Resource Center, International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps.
Apple boss Tim Cook said the company will do everything it can to support affected employees, adding that \u201cApple would not exist without immigration.\u201d Microsoft, meanwhile, has 76 employees under threat. CEO Satya Nadella, himself an immigrant, said : \u201cAs an immigrant and as a CEO, I\u2019ve both experienced and seen the positive impact that immigration has on our company, for the country, and for the world. We will continue to advocate on this important topic.\u201d
Facebook\u2019s Mark Zuckerberg expressed his concerns over the ban on the social network. He wrote that the firm is \u00ab\u00a0assessing the impact on our workforce and determining how best to protect our people and their families from any adverse effects.\u201d
After it was lambasted for refusing to show solidarity with New York City taxi drivers who were striking at JFK airport, Uber said it will create a $3 million legal fund to help its drivers affected by the ban. Rival Lyft is also helping by donating $1 million to the ACLU over four years. Its co-founders wrote: \u201c[we] will not be silent on issues.\u201d
Tesla\u2019s Elon Musk, who is part of Trump\u2019s business advisory team, tweeted that the ban is not the best way to address the country\u2019s challenges.\u201d
Many people negatively affected by this policy are strong supporters of the US. They’ve done right,not wrong & don’t deserve to be rejected.
LinkedIn, Amazon, Mozilla, Twitter, and many more have also spoken out against the ban. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had some of the harshest words, calling the order \u201cso un-American it pains us all.\u201d
\u201cWorse, these actions will make America less safe (through hatred and loss of allies) rather than more safe,\u201d Hastings added.
Some big tech companies were noticeably quiet on the issue. Palantir refused to comment on the ban, though given co-founder Peter Thiel\u2019s relationship with Trump, that\u2019s not much of a surprise. IBM, Oracle, and Dell have also declined requests to comment.<\/p>\n