Back in President Donald Trump's first term, delivery "gig apps" rallied in defense of immigrants who delivered for them — but this time around, they appear content to stay silent over threats to their workforce, Michael Linhorst wrote for The New Republic.
The president is ramping up Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raids to an extent not seen before and is summarily deporting numerous non-U.S.-born individuals without due process, which has led to dressings down from federal courts. The gig worker economy employs many immigrants, but its companies aren't treating the issue with the same urgency they did eight years ago.
"Uber put out a statement in January 2017 deriding Trump’s 'unjust immigration ban' and announced it would 'create a $3 million legal defense fund to help drivers with immigration and translation services,'" wrote Linhorst. "Instacart’s CEO, Apoorva Mehta, announced a $100,000 donation to the ACLU and said the company would pay for 'office hours with immigration counsels for employees and their families in need.' On January 29, 2017, DoorDash’s CEO said the company would give 'free food to any lawyers or advocates working this weekend to support immigrants, refugees.' None of the companies have made similar public announcements or monetary commitments at the start of Trump’s second term."
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Not only that, but many of these companies appear to be currying favor with Trump.
"In November, Uber gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, contributing to a no-limits fund that paid for inaugural festivities. The fund’s leftover cash can be used for other things, possibly a Trump presidential library. Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, kicked in another $1 million. Instacart, another major delivery company that largely relies on immigrant workers, gave $100,000 to the Trump inaugural fund."
Gustavo Ajche, who has worked for the delivery companies, had a scathing analysis.
“They don’t care about workers. They don’t care about anything. They just focus on making money, and that’s it,” he said.
Even so, the workers will keep doing their jobs despite the risk, he added.
“There are a lot of people who are scared. But there is no choice. They need money — they have to work," Ajche said.
The delivery apps are far from alone; some big tech companies that previously criticized Trump donated to his inauguration as well, prompting criticism not just from the left but from some of Trump's own supporters.
