Google CEO Sundar Pichai ordered more than 100 employees currently traveling overseas to return to the United States after President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting immigration Friday.
“It’s painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues,” Pichai wrote in a company memo, which was obtained by Bloomberg News. “We’ve always made our view on immigration issues known publicly and will continue to do so.”
Pichai said more than 100 Google employees were affected by Trump’s order, which suspended the country’s refugee program and temporarily banned visas for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Syria and Iraq. Trump said the action was aimed at fighting terrorism, but critics immediately denounced it as discriminatory.
“We’re concerned about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that create barriers to bringing great talent to the U.S.,” a Google spokeswoman said in a statement, according to Bloomberg.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also spoke out against Trump’s immigration policies on Friday, calling on the U.S. to “keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help.”