Uber Under Fire: Anti-Trump Protesters Delete App After Immigrant Ban

Opponents of President Trump's executive order banning immigrants from select Muslim-majority countries have focused some of their protest efforts on another entity entirely: Uber, the ride-hailing smartphone app.

After the order was signed Friday night, chaos and confusion broke out at New York's JFK Airport; 20 immigrants were detained at the border who expected to enter the country, and throngs of protesters arrived to oppose the order and demand entry for the travelers.

A flashpoint for the anger and fear that followed the new president's inauguration, the protests expressed resistance not just to the specific order but to Trump's wider agenda. New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a non-profit union, joined in the spirit of the protests by calling for a work stoppage at JFK between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Uber, on the other hand, continued its work picking people up at the airport.

The NYTWA tweeted out its plan, noting its opposition not just to the ban on immigrants but also to Trump's proposed border wall.

The union also issued a statement saying, "Our 19,000-member-strong union stands firmly opposed to Donald Trump's Muslim ban. As an organization whose membership is largely Muslim, a workforce that's almost universally immigrant, and a working-class movement that is rooted in the defense of the oppressed, we say no to this inhumane and unconstitutional ban."

After NYTWA's strike actually ended, Uber announced it was suspending "surge pricing" — when users get charged more during times of high demand — in the JFK Airport area.

This action was viewed as helping to break the strike called for by the NYTWA, which led many protesting the executive order to delete Uber from their phones.

However, Uber later tried to clarify that it was not intending to break the strike:

But it didn't take long for #deleteuber to start trending on Twitter.

"It's not enough to vent on twitter. Just donated to @ACLU and performed #deleteUber," said one user.

In the past, Uber has faced a backlash when its automated surge pricing drove up the cost of rides during emergencies. It faced intense ire when the price of a ride shot up during Hurricane Sandy in New York City; years later, Uber thought it had learned its lesson around such events, leading it to suspend surge pricing during the Chelsea bombing in September.

This time, however, the company's PR instincts seem to have failed. One factor leading to the backlash was Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's proximity to Trump as a member of the president's business advisory council.

In a statement issued Saturday, Kalanick said Uber would be working to help any employees affected by the new executive order.

"We are working out a process to identify these drivers and compensate them pro bono during the next three months to help mitigate some of the financial stress and complications with supporting their families and putting food on the table," the statement said.

It continued: "While every government has their own immigration controls, allowing people from all around the world to come here and make America their home has largely been the U.S.’s policy since its founding. That means this ban will impact many innocent people—an issue that I will raise this coming Friday when I go to Washington for President Trump’s first business advisory group meeting."

Lyft, Uber's main competitor, issued a stronger statement denouncing the president's policy:

"This weekend, Trump closed the country's borders to refugees, immigrants, and even documented residents from around the world based on their country of origin. Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft's and our nation's core values," it said.

"We know this directly impacts many of our community members, their families, and friends," it goes on. "We stand with you, and are donating $1,000,000 over the next four years to the ACLU to defend our constitution. We ask that you continue to be there for each other - and together, continue proving the power of community."

After continuing blowback, Kalanick posted another statement on Facebook, pledging to create a $3 million fund to support drivers with immigration and translation issues.

He also called the immigration ban "unjust."

"Drivers who are citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen and live in the US but have left the country, will not be able to return for 90 days," it said. "This means they won’t be able to earn money and support their families during this period. So it’s important that as a community that we do everything we can to help these drivers."

Even this doesn't seem to be enough for some former Uber customers: "#DeleteUber Already had both apps and used equally. Now 100% Lyft. Über too little too late. Hope you enjoyed your recent meeting with DJT," one said on Twitter.

However, those switching away from Uber out of disdain for Trump may be disheartened to learn that Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley bigwig who prominently supported the president during the campaign, is a major investor in Lyft.

Read Kalanick's recent statement in full:

Photo credit: Pexels