International Tech Reacts to the US Immigration Ban

On Facebook, we’ve gathered reactions from three urban tech centres to the recent border barriers the American government has established.

From NYC to Berlin, the reaction has been unified: free movement across borders is crucial to the values of this industry.

Click through to the gallery for reactions and commentary from across tech social media, and join this essential discussion.

What the Order Did

President Donald Trump signed the executive order on Friday, January 27, 2017. As the BBC reported, it barred nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, suspended the entire U.S. refugee admissions program for 120 days, and banned Syrian refugees until further notice.

The rollout was chaotic. Travellers with valid visas were stopped from boarding flights, and it wasn’t clear at first whether green card holders, who are legal permanent residents of the U.S., were covered. Rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union went to court within a day.

Why Tech Reacted So Strongly

The tech industry depends on talent from around the world. Many engineers and researchers at U.S. companies come from abroad, often on H-1B skilled worker visas, and startups are frequently founded by immigrants. A rule that could stop employees travelling, or make skilled people feel unwelcome, hit the industry directly.

The response from the biggest companies was fast. Google recalled about 100 affected staff members who were travelling overseas and told the BBC it was concerned about any measures that could block great talent from the U.S. Microsoft had warned its shareholders that limits on immigration could have a material impact on its business, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted a note expressing concern about the president’s executive orders and pointing out that Zuckerberg, like many Americans, is the descendant of immigrants.

Some companies went further and backed the legal challenge. Amazon and Expedia filed declarations supporting the states of Washington and Minnesota in their lawsuit against the order, Washington v. Trump.

The View From Outside the U.S.

Tech hubs outside the U.S. watched closely, because the order affected their founders and staff too, and because it raised questions about whether talented people would still choose to move to the U.S. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would continue to welcome refugees regardless of their faith, a message that drew wide international attention.

For cities like Toronto, Berlin and London, the moment highlighted a chance to attract international talent that might otherwise have gone to Silicon Valley.

What Happened Next

The original order didn’t last long in its first form. It was blocked in part by the courts and replaced in March 2017 by a second executive order. A third version, issued as a presidential proclamation later that year, reached the Supreme Court, which upheld it in a 5–4 decision in Trump v. Hawaii on June 26, 2018.

On January 20, 2021, his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed Proclamation 10141, “Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to the United States”, revoking the travel restrictions. The issue returned after Trump began a second term in January 2025, when Vox reported that he was laying the groundwork for another travel ban.

What It Means for Tech Companies

The 2017 order showed how quickly immigration policy can disrupt a company that relies on international talent. Staff can be stranded abroad, hiring plans can stall, and offers can be turned down by people who no longer feel welcome. For tech companies and startups, it’s worth knowing which employees could be affected by travel rules, having legal advice ready, and thinking about where key teams are based. The industry’s answer in 2017, that free movement of people is central to how tech works, is still the core of the debate.