127 US tech firms have now signed an amicus brief against President Donald Trump’s immigration ban, with the latest signatories including Tesla, HP and Adobe.
30 further businesses signed on Tuesday, adding to the 97 others who had previously expressed their opposition in the legal document. An amicus brief allows parties who are not directly involved in a case to express their opinion to the courts if they can prove they will be significantly affected.
The amicus brief signed by the US tech giants argues that Trump’s ban “inflicts significant harm” on their businesses and is unconstitutional.
“Of course, the federal government can and should implement targeted, appropriate adjustments to the nation’s immigration system to enhance the nation’s security,” reads the tech group’s brief.
“But a broad, open-ended ban – together with an indication that the ban could be expanded to other countries without notice – does not fit the goal of making the country more secure. Instead, it will undermine American interests.”
“The Executive Order abandons these principals [of tolerance, equality and openness]”, it added.
The US technology industry have been heavily against the immigration ban, which has limited the immigration of individuals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, since it was brought into force by Trump several weeks ago. Many tech CEOs said they would provide support to employees who were affected by the ban, either legal or financial.
The Executive Order was paused on Friday when a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, ruling against the government. Visa holders from the seven countries mentioned in the Order – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen – will be allowed to enter the US until the judges rule on the full case.
The ruling came after President Trump fired his acting attorney general, Sally Yates, after she told the US Department of Justice not to support the ban. In a statement, Trump said she had “betrayed” the government and called her “weak” on immigration issues.