Dumbo’s Work & Co adds its voice to the outcry against immigration restrictions

A couple of weeks ago, we noted the list of Brooklyn tech companies that signed their names to an amicus curiae brief in support of a challenge to President Donald Trump‘s executive order that temporarily suspends refugees and restricts citizens of seven countries from entering the U.S.

That, it turns out, is just one of several legal actions the tech industry has taken against the executive order. The aforementioned brief is tied to a lawsuit filed by the state of Washington, but there’s a similar case in New York state filed by two immigrants who were detained at JFK Airport as a result of the order. Just as in the Washington case, a group of companies have banded together to file an amicus curiae brief in support of the plaintiffs.

Among them: Dumbo-based digital agency Work & Co, which we noted last year as one of four agencies “killing it right now.” According to Advertising Age, which previously reported the agency’s involvement, it is the first advertising shop to join legal efforts against the order.

Work & Co is touting its participation on its website. Here’s what the company has to say about why it joined the brief:

Work & Co would not exist today without immigrants. More than 50% of us hail from Bangladesh, Brazil, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Taiwan, Ukraine, and dozens of other countries. Having a global perspective is one of Work & Co’s founding values — it’s essential when building digital products and services that people love to use worldwide.

There is currently a stay on the executive order, meaning that those who fall under the restrictions won’t be deported for now. But, according to Work & Co’s founding partner Mohan Ramaswamy, it’s already taken its toll within his industry.

“The proposed ban has already caused lasting damage to morale and recruitment for the tech community,” his statement on Work & Co’s website reads. “We are prepared to fight against any anti-immigration or anti-diversity initiatives. Immigrants aren’t a threat to our country — on the contrary, this is the very group that’s largely responsible for driving innovation and growth for U.S. businesses.”

Some 40 other tech companies and organizations joined Work & Co in the brief, including General Assembly, Kickstarter, Knotel, and Tech:NYC, which previously signed the amicus brief in the Washington case. You can read a copy of the brief below.