The chief executive of Uber, Travis Kalanick on Friday backed out of a business advisory council set up by Donald Trump, a week after the new U.S. president issued an immigration order that raised concerns for the ride-hailing company and its employees.
Kalanick spoke briefly with Trump about the order “and its issues for our community,” and told the president he “would not be able to participate” in the council, he said in an email sent to employees and seen by newsmen.
“Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that,’’ Kalanick wrote.
The immigration order temporarily suspended the U.S. refugee programme and banned travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations. Kalanick was one of 16 company executives chosen to participate on the council. The group was scheduled to have its first meeting on Friday.
Report says there have been protests worldwide against Trump’s executive order.
Many U.S. multinationals, technology companies in particular, were also outraged by it, pointing, among other things, to the importance of immigration and certain visas in contributing to their success.
“Immigration and openness to refugees is an important part of our country’s success and quite honestly to Uber’s. There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that,’’ he said.
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