Several tech giants including Google, Facebook and Microsoft have criticised US President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration ban against people from seven Muslim-majority countries.
The executive order bans citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen from entering the US on any visa category.
Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal obtained an email written by Google CEO
Sundar Pichai and sent to employees in which he said: “We’re upset about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the US.
“It’s painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues.”
Pichai also addressed the fact that there are at least 187 employees who could be adversely impacted by the immigration ban.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page that he was concerned by the order.
Zuckerberg said: “We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat.”
Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith said in a memo to staff that the company supports immigration policies that protect the public without sacrificing people’s freedom of expression or religion.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, meanwhile, said he would bring up the issues at a meeting he will be having with Trump this week.
Kalanick wrote to employees and posted on Facebook: “While every government has their own immigration controls, allowing people from all around the world to come here and make America their home has largely been the U.S.’s policy since its founding.
“That means this ban will impact many innocent people — an issue that I will raise this coming Friday when I go to Washington for President Trump’s first business advisory group meeting.”
The American Civil Liberties Union has already filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s immigration ban.
