Madeline Sponsler, FISM News

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Several top U.S. tech firms including Amazon.com and Facebook filed a legal brief on Monday backing a challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump’s temporary ban on the entry of certain foreign workers to preserve jobs for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the brief, the companies argued that the visa restrictions will hurt American businesses, lead employers to hire workers outside the United States, and further damage the already struggling U.S. economy.

Trump issued a presidential proclamation in June that suspended the entry of a range of foreign workers until the end of the year, a move his administration said would free up jobs for unemployed Americans amid the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Among those affected by the temporary ban are skilled foreign workers entering on H-1B visas and managers and specialized workers being transferred within a company on L visas – both visa types used by tech companies. Trump’s ban also blocks seasonal workers entering on H-2B visas, with an exception for workers in food supply chain jobs.

Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Twitter were among 52 companies that signed the brief, which was filed in a lawsuit brought by the National Association of Manufacturers, which represents 14,000 member companies, as well as in a similar lawsuit brought in Washington, D.C.

Sourced from Reuters