NEW YORK -- Apple, Google and more than 90 other companies are pushing back in court against U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban, calling it unconstitutional, un-American and bad for the economy.
The companies filed briefs Sunday to back lawsuits from Washington state and Minnesota fighting Trump's travel ban. The ban keeps refugees and travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
Trump has said his Jan. 27 executive order is necessary to prevent "radical Islamic terrorists" from coming to the U.S. The White House did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
The 97 companies are mostly in the technology industry and include social media companies Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. Non-tech companies participating include yogurt maker Chobani and jeans-seller Levi Strauss & Co.
Here are some of the reasons why they oppose the travel ban:
IT HURTS THE U.S. ECONOMY
Immigrants will avoid the U.S. and want to work in other countries where "their immigration status will not suddenly be revoked," the companies argued. They also said the ban makes it more likely that big companies will move employees overseas or make investments outside the U.S.
"Ultimately, American workers and the economy will suffer as a result," the companies said.
IT HURTS THEIR BUSINESS
The travel ban makes it harder for companies to "recruit, hire, and retain some of the world's best employees," according to the court filings.
The companies also say the ban disrupts day-to-day operations by making it more difficult to send employees to meetings and conferences abroad because of uncertainty over whether they can return.
IT'S UNLAWFUL
The companies said the executive order violates immigration laws and the U.S. Constitution because it bans people from entering the country based on their place of origin.
IT WILL HURT ENTREPRENEURSHIP
According to the court documents, 200 of the 500 companies on Fortune magazine's list of largest U.S. companies were founded by immigrants, or children of immigrants. That includes iPhone maker Apple and search company Google, both of which joined the court filing.
"The energy they bring to America is a key reason why the American economy has been the greatest engine of prosperity and innovation in history," the companies said.
