Google has announced a $2 million donation to refugee causes, with hopes that its employees will match the gift, in response to President Donald Trump's travel ban. The funds will be distributed to the American Civil Liberties Union, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the International Rescue Committee, and the UNHCR.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai outlined the plan in a memo to staff, noting that nearly 200 of the company's employees are affected by the ban. Co-founder Sergey Brin took part in a protest against the ban at San Francisco International Airport.
Several major technology companies have criticised the travel ban. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that 'Apple would not exist without immigration', while Netflix CEO Reed Hastings called the president's actions 'very sad' and 'un-American'. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, an immigrant himself, emphasised the positive impact of immigration on the company and the country.
The executive order, signed on Friday, suspends refugee arrivals for 120 days and bars visas for travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. A US federal judge has ordered authorities to stop deporting refugees and other travellers stuck at US airports, amid mounting resistance to the restrictions.
