Technology companies are hopefully that, no matter how their lawsuits against the Trump administration turn out, Biden will bring some positive change to immigration policy.
Technology companies are actively soliciting the future assistance of President-Elect Joe Biden in reversing a number of Trump administration rules which make it more difficult for highly skilled immigrants to work in the United States.
The Hill reports that many Silicon Valley companies have already clashed with the Trump administration over its immigration policy. TechNet—an industry group which represents the likes of Amazon, Google, and Facebook—has already filed a number of lawsuits against the White House, challenging new obstacles to sponsoring H-1B visas.
While the lawsuit remains unresolved, TechNet representatives say they hope that, once Joe Biden takes the Oval Office in January, further litigation will no longer be necessary.
“They’ve indicated they’re going to be very different than the Trump administration on high-skilled immigration, immigration in general,” TechNet CEO Linda Moore said. “High-skilled immigration […] has led to so much growth and technological superiority and competitiveness for the U.S.”
According to The Hill, the Biden transition team has so far declined comment.
Nevertheless, TechNet has remained active in tackling the Trump administration’s more controversial immigration policies. Earlier this year, they joined other industry groups in a lawsuit seeking to invalidate an executive order temporarily suspending certain temporary worker visas through the end of 2020.
The courts later sided with TechNet and its allies.
“TechNet sued the Trump administration to stop these worker visa restrictions and we won,” Moore said. “Any rules that impose stricter standards around H-1B visas will have zero impact on increasing American jobs and will harm our country’s ability to recover from the pandemic just as cases are beginning to rise again.
“They should allow the incoming administration to set the tone on immigration policy as our country moves forward under President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris.”
TechNet, though, remains concerned that the Trump administration could still try to enact policies which hinder legal immigration.
When pressed by The Hill for comment, the White House declined to offer any specifics. However, a spokesperson did maintain that President Trump has always tried to do what he fells best is for the American people—even if his politics may not be popular among certain industry actors.
“Since taking office, President Trump has never shied away from using his lawful executive authority to advance bold policies and fulfill the promises he made to the American people, but I won’t speculate or comment on potential executive action,” a White House spokesperson said.
The New York Post notes that groups like TechNet have paid more than $97 million in contributions to Biden’s since-successful presidential bid.
Sources
Big Tech lobbying Joe Biden to end Trump’s immigration rules
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