ACLU Raises More Than $25 Million Over Trump’s T
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has reportedly raised more than $24 million in online donations in the wake of the group’s stance against President Donald Trump’s temporary halt on refugees while the government revamps its flawed security screening process.
Leaders of major tech firms were helpful in promoting a campaign of donations to the ACLU, prompting Vanity Fair to note that Silicon Valley “relies more than most industries on access to high-skilled immigrant labor.”
The New York Times reported on the donations, which included vast numbers of individual donors:
The ACLU has raised more than $24 million in online donations since Saturday, the first full day of the immigration ban, said Stephen Smith, a spokesman for the group. That is nearly seven times as much raised online in 2015, roughly $3.5 million, he added.
Those donations came from at least 356,306 individual donors, and about two-thirds of those who gave money were believed to be first-time donors, said its executive director, Anthony D. Romero.
“The response from the public has been remarkable,” Mr. Romero said. “It clearly shows that people are exercised over the proposed policies of Donald Trump.”
Vanity Fair reported on the involvement of Big Tech in helping to spur some donations:
Front and center amid the outpouring were tech leaders in Silicon Valley, which relies more than most industries on access to high-skilled immigrant labor. Prominent venture capitalists pledged to match donations from their Twitter followers, and executives made public donations on behalf of their start-ups.
Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta donated $100,000 during the campaign.
Prominent social media investor Chris Sacca tweeted a pledge to match donations to the ACLU up to $75,000.