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Google Sundar Pichai Technology

Google creates $4m ‘crisis campaign’ fund in response to Trump’s immigration clampdown

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By John Glenday, Reporter

January 30, 2017 | 2 min read

Google has created a $4m humanitarian fund to assist organisations offering support to immigrants after dramatically recalling its staff from overseas stations in an effort to circumvent a travel ban imposed by president Trump on seven Muslim-majority countries.

This will be the largest sum of money ever awarded by the search giant to a humanitarian cause and will be distributed amongst four bodies; the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees / UN Refugee Agency (UNHR).

Silicon Valley has been roundly critical of the immigration restrictions which they fear will impact their ability to recruit the best global talent; with Apple, Facebook and Microsoft joining Google in speaking out against the ban.

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, who was born in India, has been particularly critical of the order, which could affect as many as 187 employees from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Half of the cash will come from Google’s own reserves with the remainder donated directly by its employees.

Google Sundar Pichai Technology

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