Apple has joined a long list of tech companies in submitting an amicus letter, one claiming that closing an executive order for foreign work visas such as the H-1B visa is more damaging to U.S. workers and the economy than good.
In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending visas for foreign workers. The suspension stopped visas such as the L-1 visa, used to transfer foreign personnel to the United States, and the H-1B, which was used to use remote workers in special occupations, from being issued, a move at the time that received criticism from many business leaders.
An amicus letter was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by a list of 52 tech companies on Monday formally opposing the executive order, one aimed at protecting unemployed Americans from the threat of competition for tight jobs ‘. The brief claims that the law requires the president to ensure that such actions “pursue the interests of the United States,” but that the suspension does not meet this barrier.
“Indeed, the sheer weight of evidence and the experience of leading corporations, trade unions, and other business-oriented organizations make it clear that the suspension of these vital non-immigrant visa programs will stifle innovation, hinder growth, and ultimately harm American workers,” companies, and the economy broader in irreparable ways, “reads the brief.
It states that the order was presented with “virtually no factual findings” and “minimal reasoning” to support the signing as beneficial to the country. In the immediate aftermath, competing peoples, including Canada, China, and India, “have the opportunity to attract well-educated, innovative individuals,” while companies in the U.S. “scramble to adapt” to the changes.
“The Proclamation did not consider these costs,” the brief insisted. “It was based on the false assumption that the suspension would protect domestic workers. In fact, amici and American companies will be more widely irreparably harmed by the Proclamation, to the detriment of their workers and customers, the broader economy, and the future of American innovation. and leadership. ”
Apple CEO Tim Cook is briefly quoted as saying that he was “deeply disappointed by the proclamation”, and that “this nation of immigrants has always found strength in our diversity, and hope in the lasting promise of the American Dream. “There is no new prosperity without both.”
Observations from other business leaders, including Microsoft President Brad Smith, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and PayPal CEO Dan Schulman are also briefly raised.
“Irreparable damage to business”
The core argument on the short is that the visa programs have a “well-established and documented track record of benefiting the U.S. economy,” with research claiming that “H-1B visa holders do not affect U.S. workers,” and that the program increases “innovation, productivity, and profits” while engaging other workers. A similar argument is being made for H-2B visas, while the L-1 visa holds “jobs in the US” while still working as a useful tool for a global marketplace.
At the same time, the brief lamented the statement “will continue to inflict irreparable damage to businesses and the nation’s economy,” with many companies acknowledging the threat to growth with their removal. It is further suggested that the suspension “is likely to drive talent abroad to the detriment of the U.S. economy and the advantage of its global competitors.”
“For many decades, this country has been a magnet for these talented people, who – along with US-born workers and innovators – have made our economy the most dynamic in the world,” the brief concludes. “The Proclamation prevents American companies from attracting the best and brightest in the world, and deprives those innovative, highly skilled individuals of opportunities to improve America’s short-term recovery and long-term economic growth.”
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