Apple, Amazon, FB join battle against Trump’s visa restrictions

San Francisco, Aug 12 (IANS): Technology giants including Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter have lended support to a lawsuit challenging US President Donald Trump’s suspension of new visas for temporary foreign workers.

The new visa restrictions could adversely affect how the US economy recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the companies said in an amicus brief filed on Monday, The Verge reported.

“The President’s suspension of nonimmigrant visa programs, supposedly to ‘protect’ American workers, actually harms those workers, their employers, and the economy,” the amicus reads.

Through a proclamation in June, Trump suspended till the end of the year a range of guest worker visas including the H-1B visas prized by Indian professionals.

The freeze will not affect those already in the US on the H-1B and the other work visa categories being put on pause.

The purported justification for the suspension is “to protect unemployed Americans from the threat of competition for scarce jobs” amid disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US Chamber of Commerce as well as a coalition of trade groups filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s proclamation on visa restrictions.

In support of the suit, nearly 50 organisations filed an amicus brief on Monday.

The companies said that “the suspension of these vital nonimmigrant visa programs will stifle innovation, hinder growth, and ultimately harm US workers, businesses, and the economy more broadly in irreparable ways.”

From Tim Cook to Sundar Pichai, top technology leaders in the US came out in the open to criticise Trump’s proclamation in June too.

“Immigration has contributed immensely to America’s economic success, making it a global leader in tech, and also Google the company it is today. Disappointed by today’s proclamation – we’ll continue to stand with immigrants and work to expand opportunity for all,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai had said in a tweet.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was deeply disappointed by the new proclamation.

“Like Apple, this nation of immigrants has always found strength in our diversity, and hope in the enduring promise of the American Dream. There is no new prosperity without both. Deeply disappointed by this proclamation,” he had said.