[ek_hornbeck]

It's a symbolic gesture. Obviously most of these companies have no significant business interests in those countries nor do they get workers from these countries. However, many corporations are so committed to open borders that they see any restriction on who can enter the country as something that has to be fought tooth and nail.

Their thought is that if today we stop refugees from Somalia and Syria, tomorrow we won't be allowing migrant farm laborers (and their families) from Mexico and Central America en masse, or H1B visa IT guys from China and India.

[DesertRhino]

You say obviously. They freaked out when the list of backward nations was given a temporary hold. And I saw the leaders of those companies explaining how this would cripple the tech industry.

[Voluntaryist]

Bingo!!