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Their appeal to the famous negotiator: Think about the economy.
In just over a week of his presidency, Trump has already issued a handful of executive orders regarding immigration, including Friday's directive banning entry to the US of nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries.
The order also prompted a swift backlash from a range of businesses. Tech companies and their executives, including Facebook, Apple, Google, Lyft, Netflix and Twitter, issued rebukes of Trump's actions and pledged to help employees and individuals affected by it. Travel companies like Expedia and Trip Advisor followed suit in expressing concern, as did a host of other businesses ranging from Ford to General Electric.
The business world is now hoping to find a way to get the White House's ear on the issue and drive home an economic appeal to a President whose business background has been his main selling point.
One lobbyist with clients in multiple sectors affected by the ban said groups are trying to figure out how to translate their concern to a new administration that has been chilly to lobbying and has limited previous ties to K Street, Washington's center of lobbying.
"There is a clear effort going on on K Street to figure out the right ways to get to the administration to explain to them the negative economic impacts of some of the things they're thinking about doing and are doing," said the lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his clients.
The crafting of Trump's order has been mainly ascribed to his top adviser Steve Bannon and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller. The impetus, according to the White House and the order, has been to fight terrorism and ensure that individuals coming to the country are properly vetted.
Neither Bannon nor Miller have wide connections in Washington, making it difficult for lobbying groups to get their concerns heard on the orders.
"I think the challenge is that it appears to be a very small inner circle who are making these decisions and trying to figure out how to have real contact with that inner circle is challenging," the lobbyist said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. It has defended the rollout of the order, saying those who needed to be included were and that the action was taken with the urgency of security in mind.
At first after the issuance of the order, even permanent legal residents that held US green cards who were born in the seven countries affected were being detained at US airports or turned back. Others with valid visas faced the same fate. The White House has since reversed course and said green card holders are not affected by the order, unless they are flagged for posing a threat, and that others may be allowed in on a case-by-case basis.
But businesses fear that damage may already be done: Employees are unable to leave the country for fear of not being able to return, and potential tourists and clients may choose to avoid the US over concern that they not be let in -- especially given the White House leaving open the possibility of adding more countries.
And in industries like the tech and engineering sector, companies rely heavily on an international talent pool, making preserving high-skilled immigration visas a key concern for their bottom lines.
Trump has made business a key focus of his administration alongside security -- and CEOs are hoping that they can appeal to him on that side of the equation.
Several of his critics are already on Trump's manufacturing or economic committees, which he meets with periodically, and are hoping to use that to their advantage.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick both took to Twitter over the weekend to say they'd bring their and other concerns to Trump directly.
It's not just businesses, either. A raft of conservative and center-right think tanks are making the case that pro-immigration policies are in the whole nation's economic interest.
At a conference on immigration reform held by the pro-market Reason Foundation on Monday, Hoover Institution fellow Tim Kane gave a presentation saying that immigration reform -- done to keep up the legal flow of immigrants into this country -- would be essential if Trump wants to meet his economic goals otherwise.
"Immigration reform will be essential to hit that 4% growth target, because without immigration, you're not going to be able to hit that 4% growth," Kane said, adding that he was optimistic the Trump administration would be on track given its decision to not rescind protections for undocumented immigrants brought here as children in its first week.
Daniel Griswold, a fellow at George Mason University's pro-market Mercatus Center, said in a later panel that the Trump administration could vastly decrease illegal immigration by making it easier to legally hire low-skilled immigrants
"This cost is not trivial," said Ike Brannon, a CATO visiting fellow. "This cost of repealing this is enough money that I think you would probably have to score this (were it to go before Congress), and if you score this, you're going to find you're creating a hole in the federal budget."
Though the White House has indicated deporting DACA recipients is not a priority, an order last week set enforcement priorities for deportation that could include DACA recipients, depending how immigration officers interpret it.
Read more:
Businesses, think tanks look to influence Donald Trump with economic message on immigration - CNN
President Donald Trump may be planning to scrapmajor visa programs allowingforeign workers to enter the country in favor of a new system that gives preference to U.S. workers. A draft proposal for an executive order obtained by Bloomberg NewsMonday suggested that the administration's next move would overhaul the U.S.' system for distributing visas to foreign workers, namely the H-1B, L-1, E-2 and B1 programs.
The move comes after Trump's latest controversial executive order restricting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East over what the White House said were national security concerns. The administration reportedly justified the upcoming order by saying it would protect the jobs of U.S. citizens.
Our countrys immigration policies should be designed and implemented to serve, first and foremost, the U.S. national interest, the draft proposal reads, according to a copy reviewed by Bloomberg. Visa programs for foreign workers should be administered in a manner that protects the civil rights of American workers and current lawful residents, and that prioritizes the protection of American workers -- our forgotten working people -- and the jobs they hold.
The draft required companies using the visa system, which was originally intended to provide visas to companies that could not otherwise find domestic labor, to first hire U.S. workers and, if unable, togive priority to highly paid foreign workers. It also called for greater transparency throughout the process. Under President Barack Obama's administration, access to some of the program's information required a Freedom of Information Act request.
The move would likely result in a major shakeup for Silicon Valley industries heavily dependent on skilled, foreign labor. Trump has accused tech companies of outsourcing jobs to cheaper, international markets, especially India. The current H-1B visa regime, which covers skilled labor, mostly grants visasto companies that practice outsourcing.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have recently introduced legislation also aiming to restrict the H-1B visa program. Democratic Sen. Zoe Lofgren introduced a bill Wednesday tightening the program's requirements, telling CNN that the reform would "avoid this undercutting the wages of American workers." Last week, Republican Sen. Chuck Durbin of Iowa and Democratic Sen.Richard Durbin Of Illinois re-introduced a 2007 bill, targeting companies that "exploit the programs by cutting American workers for cheaper labor."
Others, such as Indian economistSonal Varma ofNomura, have indicated the potential harm that further limits on H-1B visas could have on both the U.S. and Indian economy. She highlighted the massive remittances sent to Indians working in the U.S. Indian tech corporations have argued the current system keeps jobs in the U.S. and that increased obstacles would encourage companies to work remotely rather send workers to the U.S. Others have argued that access to cheap labor makes companies more competitive.
A longtime advocate of immigrationreformapplauds the University of Illinois revised languageon protecting students who may be here illegallyas the Trump administration threatensto deport them. Illinois Public Medias Jeff Bossert has more:
Listen to the radio story.
Lawyer and U of I law professor Francis Boyle says altered language from President Tim Killeen essentially makes the U of Is three campuses sanctuaries without using that term.
Killeens comments in a mass e-mail last week says the U of I doesnt inquire or keep records on a students immigration status, and that campus police wont detain someone basedsolelyon an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request. Boyle says that should reassure students.
Shortly after Novembers election, Killeenfirstresponded to a petition signed by thousands at the U of I saying he would offer support to all students, but that becoming a sanctuary campus would violate the law.
Professor Boyle says this action essentially mirrors what University of California President and former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano - has done for her students.
More:
Immigration Reform Advocate Applauds U of I 'Sanctuary' Status - Peoria Public Radio
The decision by President Donald Trump to impose a broad immigration ban on seven countries may have an impact he didn't foresee.
The ban, a 90-day moratorium on admissions and re-entry in the United States unveiled on Friday, isn't about H-1B visa-holders specifically. And it doesn't grow out of the his voiced concerns about the use of that visa to displace U.S. workers. Instead it affects tourists, business and student visas. Those with permanent residency, or green cards, are also affected.
Trump's ban, issued through an executive order, affects all visa types in seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The action is ostensibly intended as an anti-terrorism measure. It targets some, but not all, Muslim-majority countries; Saudi Arabia, for instance, is not on the list.
Aside from inflaming civil liberties groups, sparking court fights and spontaneous demonstrations last night at various U.S. airports, the move is also giving the tech industry a renewed voice and a rallying point on immigration. This comes at the same time the Trump administration is expected to begin pushing for H-1B reforms.
Among those speaking out was Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, whose Twitter feed included a steady stream of retweets critical of Trump's action.
"The Executive Order's humanitarian and economic impact is real and upsetting. We benefit from what refugees and immigrants bring to the U.S.," wrote Dorsey, and "This EO goes against our principles."
The tech leaders looked beyond the seven-country ban to make a broad push for immigration reform. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urged Trump to help the "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."
A federal court ruled late Saturday that the U.S. could not deport citizens of the banned countries who had already arrived in the U.S. It was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Trump's move was put into place so fast it literally affected people in transit.
"This was done with almost no notice," said Carl Shusterman, a Los Angeles-based immigration attorney. He said his office received a leaked draft of the executive order last Tuesday and began advising people about what was in the pipeline.
"I think this is causing a lot of chaos for really no reason at all," said Shusterman.
Trump's order prompted tech firms to scramble to locate and notify affected employees, and to issue statements over the weekend.
"As an immigrant and as a CEO, I've both experienced and seen the positive impact that immigration has on our company, for the country, and for the world," wrote Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a posting on LinkedIn on Saturday. "We will continue to advocate on this important topic."
Microsoft said it has identified 76 employees who are citizens of the seven countries who have a U.S. visa and are affected. But it also said there may be other affected employees who have green cards.
The seven countries cited by the Trump administration have had no role in the ongoing H-1B visa debate. In 2014, nearly 70% of all H-1B visas were issued to people born in India, according to U.S. data.
Ron Hira, associate professor of public policy at Howard University, ran an analysis of the visas issued in the 2013 fiscal year alone and found a total of 1,220 H-1B visas, new visas or renewals, from workers in all seven countries.
In that year, Iran had the largest number of visa holders, with 810. It was followed by Syria, with 280; Libya, with 53; and Iraq, at 46. The Sudan accounted for 18 visas; Yemen, 11; and Somalia, 2.
In 2013, Microsoft was the top employer of H-1B-visa workers from the seven countries, with 31. It was followed by Qualcomm at 21, and Google at 15, according to Hira.
"The Iran numbers suggest to me that it is foreign students who graduated from U.S. universities" as well as having family ties in the U.S., he said.
Iran's Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by Iranian media, called the U.S. move "insulting" and an "open affront" and said it is considering a reciprocal response.
The Trump order also has broad impacts.
"If a company wants to hire a worker from one of those countries, they won't be able to get a visa for at least 90 days," said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell University. "Foreign national employees on work visas who are temporarily overseas may not be able to return."
The Computing Research Association, in a statement, warned that the Trump order "may also discourage foreign-born researchers from bringing their talents to the U.S. in the future, which would have significantly detrimental impacts on our national competitiveness."
Link:
Trump immigration ban means a war with tech - Computerworld