CHANNELING out of the US amid rising immigration and other concerns, tech giants including Amazon and Google are urging US President Donald Trump to keep the country’s largest companies headquartered in the country.
In a memo on Tuesday, Google, Facebook, and Twitter all said they wanted to remain in the United States even if Trump did not sign an executive order to ease restrictions on visas and other travel.
The move comes as immigration and trade officials say they expect a surge in companies moving jobs overseas.
“The US remains the world’s largest economy, but as a global leader, the US should be focused on what works and is best for our employees and the American people,” the companies wrote.
“We believe that continued open immigration, free trade, and the continued competitiveness of the United State will allow us to thrive.”
Google’s announcement comes after several other companies on Tuesday joined a letter signed by more than 400 other tech firms urging Trump to remain the country with the most skilled workers.
Google’s move came as immigration officials said they were preparing to impose restrictions on visa-free travel to the US for high-skilled workers from countries such as China, India, and Korea.
The visa restrictions were first announced in January, but they were delayed to coincide with the start of the new year, with the move coming after Trump signed a memorandum on Monday easing restrictions on travel to and from the US.
The moves have come amid fears of a potential surge in immigration from countries including China, which had previously refused to take in any new immigrants.