97 tech giants are suing Trump for immigration ban on Muslims

Alphabet, Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Intel and 90 other technology companies have filed a legal brief opposing Trump’s immigration ban on the grounds that it will harm companies’ business.

Donald Trump won the Presidential election in November 2016. He held the office as President of the United States a couple of weeks ago and immediately banned Muslim immigrants in the US. There have been many protests globally against the ban orders.

The ban will also affect world’s leading tech companies as they’ve employees from all over the world and it will be difficult for businesses to recruit and hire more talent. It will threaten the stability and competitiveness of American companies. The uncertainties will have an adverse impact on employees as well as the global marketplace.

The lawsuit titled “Motion for leave to file brief of technology companies and other businesses as amicus curiae in support of appellees” was filed in Washington court on Sunday 5, 2017. The legal brief states,

“The Order represents a significant departure from the principles of fairness and predictability that have governed the immigration system of the United States for more than fifty years—and the Order inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation, and growth as a result. The Order makes it more difficult and expensive for U.S. companies to recruit, hire, and retain some of the world’s best employees. It disrupts ongoing business operations. And it threatens companies’ ability to attract talent, business, and investment to the United States.”

The argument reads,

“America proudly describes itself as “a nation of immigrants.” … A quarter of us have at least one parent who was born outside the country. Close to half of us have a grandparent born somewhere else. Nearly all of us trace our lineage to another country.

Immigrants make many of the Nation’s greatest discoveries, and create some of the country’s most innovative and iconic companies. Immigrants are among our leading entrepreneurs, politicians, artists, and philanthropists. The experience and energy of people who come to our country to seek a better life for themselves and their children—to pursue the “American Dream”—are woven throughout the social, political, and economic fabric of the Nation.”

The argument also states that immigrants are leading entrepreneurs and innovators of America and they bring innovation and prosperity to the country. Immigrants and their children founded more than 200 of Fortune 500 companies in the US including Apple, Ford, General Electric, Google, AT&T, Boeing and Disney.

Airbnb has offered free residence to Muslim refugees affected by the ban. Google has also dedicated humanitarian fund worth $4 million in support to the US immigration organization.