Just shy of a hundred technology companies from the US have filed an amicus brief against president Trump’s executive order which bans refugees and immigrants from a number of countries. This is another step forward in activism from the tech industry, which has been fundamentally opposed to the administration’s move.
Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Snapchat, Uber, Twitter and 90 other companies have filed a motion with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The “friend of the court” brief emphasizes the importance of immigrants in the economy and society. Lauding these contributions and highlighting the disproportionate importance of immigrants in the tech industry, the companies’ brief states:
Immigrants make many of the Nation’s greatest discoveries, and create some of the country’s most innovative and iconic companies," the brief states. “America has long recognized the importance of protecting ourselves against those who would do us harm. But it has done so while maintaining our fundamental commitment to welcoming immigrants—through increased background checks and other controls on people seeking to enter our country.
President’s Trump executive order that stopped refugees and banned immigrants from seven Muslim countries, was decried around the world and seen as a step backward for America. Late on Friday, a US District judge temporarily lifted the administration’s order, a ruling that held in the court of appeals over the weekend.
Source: Bloomberg | Gavel image via Shutterstock