Nearly five dozen technology companies have filed an amicus brief against President Donald Trump’s revised executive order banning travel from six majority-Muslim countries, which is set to go into effect on Thursday.
The brief, which was filed Wednesday, supports Hawaii’s lawsuit seeking to block the federal government from implementing the order. In total, 58 companies, including Airbnb, Dropbox, Lyft, Square and Wikimedia, signed on. Many of the same companies joined a similar brief in February in opposition to the first version of Trump’s ban.
“The technological and scientific breakthroughs that fuel the economic engine of the country — search, cloud computing, social media, artificial intelligence, faster and faster microprocessors, the Internet of Everything, reusable spacecraft — were all made possible by the ingenuity, imagination and invention of newcomers to America, including Muslims from across the world,” the brief states. “Never in modern American history has that infusion of talent and passion and creativity been stanched, as it is vital to the lifeblood of our economy. Never, until now.”
Trump signed the revised order on March 6, more than a month after federal judges struck down the initial version banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees from temporarily entering the U.S. While the new version is significantly watered down ― only travelers without visas are banned, and Iraq has been removed from the list of prohibited countries ― the order still targets Muslims and puts the refugee resettlement program on hold.
Hawaii filed its lawsuit two days after the new ban was announced, arguing that the order violates the U.S. Constitution and would have a “chilling” effect on the state’s tourism industry. Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia have filed an amicus brief in support of that suit, contending that the ban will do “serious harm” to their residents, businesses and communities. A federal judge in Hawaii is set to hear arguments on the case later on Wednesday.
Washington state’s attorney general has filed a separate lawsuit challenging Trump’s order, arguing that the impact of the ban has not changed despite the revisions. Multiple states, including California and Maryland, have signed on to that suit.
Read the tech companies’ full amicus brief below:
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