Trump Travel Ban News: Tech Companies Back Off Legal Challenge To New Executive Order

After actively opposing President Donald Trump’s initial travel ban, technology companies are opting to not to mount a legal challenge to the most recent version of the executive order, according to a report from Reuters.

A legal brief filed Tuesday in federal court in Hawaii listed support from 58 Silicon Valley companies. By comparison, a similar brief filed in opposition of President Donald Trump’s original executive order banning travel from seven majority-Muslim countries had 127 signatories.

Read: Lyft, Apple, Other Tech Companies Speak Out Against Travel Ban

Companies who challenged the original ban but have decided not to pursue the same legal avenues in response to the revised order include Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Intel and Netflix, among others.

The companies have yet to disclose why they have opted not to sign on to the most recent brief, though it may reflect the general belief the most recent executive order has been crafted in a way that would pass legal muster.

The ban will not be without legal challenges, though. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson ordered an emergency freeze of the executive order, which would have barred citizens of six Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States and would have suspended the admission of refugees.

President Trump has insisted the ban is necessary for national security, and called Watson's order "unprecedented judicial overreach."

Read: Hawaii Judge Blocks Revised Travel Ban

Tech companies will still have the opportunity to sign on to the brief challenging the order as it continues to move forward through the court system, though none of the big players in the industry have openly expressed their intention to do so.

Airbnb, Dropbox, Lyft and Kickstarter are among the companies that have already signed the brief. A representative for Uber told Reuters the company is in the process of adding its name to the filing as well.

Much of Silicon Valley spoke out against the original executive order because its implementation left company employees in limbo—especially those working or traveling overseas. The tech industry is heavily reliant on skilled workers from overseas and has a vested interest in making their entry into the country feasible.