As State AG Files Suit, Washington-Based Tech Firms Worry About Immigration Order

Washington state is the first out of the gate among the states to challenge in court the Trump administration's executive order, inked only last Friday, concerning immigration. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed suit over the order Monday.

There is concern in Seattle's tech industry that limiting immigration and workers in the U.S. under the current visa program could hurt businesses that rely on those workers. The United States has been a net attractor of tech talent worldwide, including some from the countries named in the executive order.

Tech has become an increasingly important driver of Seattle's growth. Amazon continues its expansion there even as new firms come in, such as Expedia, which made the move into Seattle last year to attract tech talent.

Those two firms were among a number of Washington-based companies that supported the AG's lawsuit through declarations filed alongside the complaint. In their declarations, Amazon and Expedia set forth the detrimental ways the executive order impacts their operations and their employees. 

For his part, Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi — who is originally from Iran — sharply criticized the executive order in an email to employees Sunday, saying it portrays the United States as “inward-looking versus forward thinking, reactionary versus visionary.”

The suit is against President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and various high-ranking Trump administration officials. Ferguson’s complaint asks the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to declare unconstitutional key provisions of the executive order.

The complaint asserts the president’s actions are “separating Washington families, harming thousands of Washington residents, damaging Washington’s economy, hurting Washington-based companies, and undermining Washington’s sovereign interest in remaining a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees.”