Businesses – And Business Travel – Hurt By Immigration Order

Businesses large and small are expressing their concerns today in the wake of President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days.

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The ban went into effect on Friday. It bars entry of refugees from Syria into the U.S., as well as citizens from predominantly Muslim countries known to be linked to terrorism – Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.

Global businesses have already been affected, with Google responding almost immediately on Friday in saying it had 187 employees from affected countries whom they were urging to rush back to the United States.

"We’re concerned about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the U.S.," Google said in a statement. "We'll continue to make our views on these issues known to leaders in Washington and elsewhere."

The company has 70 offices worldwide

"It’s painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues," Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai wrote in a memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg News. "We’ve always made our view on immigration issues known publicly and will continue to do so."

Like Google, Facebook has numerous global offices – 66 in fact – and conducts heavy business travel. Co-founded and CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that his grandparents came from Germany, Austria and Poland, and his wife Priscilla's parents were refugees from China and Vietnam.

Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook that the need to keep the country safe should be balanced by focusing on those who actually pose a threat.

“I was glad to hear President Trump say he's going to "work something out" for Dreamers -- immigrants who were brought to this country at a young age by their parents,” he wrote. “Right now, 750,000 Dreamers benefit from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allows them to live and work legally in the US. I hope the President and his team keep these protections in place, and over the next few weeks I'll be working with our team at FWD.us to find ways we can help. I'm also glad the President believes our country should continue to benefit from ‘people of great talent coming into the country.’ ”

READ MORE: Stunned Travel Industry Reacts To Immigration Ban

And that’s another issue that businesses are concerned about – a potential ‘brain drain’ in recruiting a global workforce.

In a regulatory filing this week, Microsoft said the market for highly skilled workers and leaders in the tech industry is extremely competitive.

“We are limited in our ability to recruit internationally by restrictive domestic immigration laws. Changes to U.S. immigration policies that restrain the flow of technical and professional talent may inhibit our ability to adequately staff our research and development efforts,” the company said. “If we are less successful in our recruiting efforts, or if we cannot retain key employees, our ability to develop and deliver successful products and services may be adversely affected.”

Ironically, Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Washington, D.C., when the news of Trump’s executive order broke, meeting with members of Congress as well as a scheduled meeting with Ivanka Trump and her husband.

"In my conversations with officials here in Washington this week, I’ve made it clear that Apple believes deeply in the importance of immigration — both to our company and to our nation’s future. Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do," Cook wrote in a memo to Apple employees obtained by USA TODAY.