Apple and Google among 97 companies to enter legal battle against Donald Trump's travel ban

Apple, Google and Facebook are among 97 companies who have signed a legal brief in official opposition to US President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban.

The filing - known as an amicus brief, or ‘friend of the court’ - said President Trump’s executive order “violates the immigration laws and the Constitution”.

The ban, which prevents people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from travelling to America, was last week condemned by many of the world’s leading businesses, including top technology companies.

Nearly 100 of those companies have now made their opposition official after filing the legal brief to the US Court of Appeals late on Sunday night.

The list of businesses also includes Airbnb, Snap, Uber, Netflix, Twitter and Spotify, as well as non-tech companies such as Levi Strauss.

“Immigrants make many of the Nation’s greatest discoveries, and create some of the country’s most innovative and iconic companies,” the brief says.

“America has long recognised the importance of protecting ourselves against those who would do us harm. But it has done so while maintaining our fundamental commitment to welcoming immigrants - through increase background checks and other controls of people seeking to enter our country.”

The filing warns that the order will make it harder for companies to hire new employees from around the world, increases costs and makes it more difficult for companies to “compete in the international marketplace”.

It represents a hardening of the technology industry’s resolve against the ban, which resulted in many high-profile executives speaking out in protest last week.

Thousands of Google employees staged a protest at the company’s offices, while Airbnb said it would provide free housing to anyone left stranded by the order.

It also comes after Amazon and Microsoft threw their weight behind the first legal challenge to the order last week, while Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick stepped down from Mr Trump’s economic advisory council and set up a $3m legal fund to help affected drivers.

The ban had been lifted by a district judge on Friday, and the federal appeals court this weekend rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to have the ban reinstated .

In response, the President repeatedly attacked the judge who ruled against the order, saying he should be blamed for putting the country “in such peril”.

“I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. “The courts are making the job very difficult!"

He also tweeted: “Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and the court system. People pouring in. Bad!”