President Trump today signed off on an executive order to suspend a number of nonimmigrant visas temporarily, a move that leading tech firms have slammed.

The order, titled, “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak,” means that the following visas will be suspended throughout 2020: H-1B visas, H-2B visas, H-4 visas, L-1 visas and certain types of J-1 visas.

It’s the H-1B visas that most directly affect the tech industry, given that they are for skilled workers. Since Trump took office he has been at loggerheads with various segments of the tech industry over this visa.

“American workers compete against foreign nationals for jobs in every sector of our economy,” Trump (pictured) said in the order. “Without intervention, the United States faces a potentially protracted economic recovery with persistently high unemployment if labor supply outpaces labor demand.”

No sooner than it was released than tech giant Google LLC criticized the move, with Chief Executive Sundar Pichai tweeting that he was disappointed. Pichai, himself an Indian immigrant, said immigrants have “contributed immensely” to economic success in the U.S.

“Immigrants have not only fueled technological breakthroughs and created new businesses and jobs but have also enriched American life,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement. “America’s continued success depends on companies having access to the best talent from around the world. Particularly now, we need that talent to help contribute to America’s economic recovery.”

Microsoft Corp. President and Chief Counsel Brad Smith also took to Twitter, saying that this was not a good time to cut the country off from talent. “Immigrants play a vital role at our company and support our country’s critical infrastructure,” he wrote. “They are contributing to this country at a time when we need them most.”

Amazon.com Inc. joined the chorus in denouncing the proclamation, stating that denying visas for highly skilled workers would not be good for the economy. “The value of high-skill visa programs is clear, and we are grateful of the many Amazon employees from around the world that have come to the U.S. to innovate new products and services for our customers,” said a spokesperson for the company.

Twitter Inc., along with Facebook Inc. and other tech firms, echoed these sentiments in their own statements.

Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr