Tech coalition calls out Trump on immigration ban

A coalition of top Silicon Valley companies on Saturday expressed their concern about President Trump’s immigration ban from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

The Internet Association — a group that includes as its members tech giants like Microsoft, Facebook and Google — issued a statement Saturday just hours after Trump’s executive order went into effect.

“The internet industry is deeply concerned with the implications of President Trump’s executive order limiting immigration and movement into the United States,” Michael Beckerman, the group’s CEO, said in a statement.

{mosads}“While this order impacts many companies outside of the tech industry, internet companies in particular thrive in the U.S. because the best and the brightest are able to create innovative products and services right here in America.”

Trump signed the executive order on Friday, banning all immigration for 90 days from Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Tech executives from companies like Facebook and Google have also lashed out at the order.

In his statement Saturday, Beckerman said that Silicon Valley was concerned about the effects that the order would have on its workers, many of whom are immigrants.

“While we support President Trump’s efforts to grow our economy and allow ‘people of great talent’ to come into the U.S., the executive order signed yesterday has troubling consequences,” he said.

“Internet Association member companies – along with companies in many other industries – include legal immigrant employees who are covered by these recent executive orders and will not be able to return back to their jobs and families in the U.S.”

Beckerman added that the group intends to work with Trump and other lawmakers to try to make the case for immigration reform.