Zuckerberg-Led Immigration Group OPPOSED Trump, Then Gave Him $5,000

An immigration reform group led by some of the biggest names in the tech industry, specifically Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, donated $5,000 to the Trump administration’s transition team, even after it vehemently opposed the then-presidential candidate’s immigration proposals.

“FWD.us” joined other companies in funding the transition operation, which was able to garner approximately $6.5 million through Feb. 15, according to Politico.

Zuckerberg and the nonprofit seem to be trying to curry favor with both sides of the aisle.

While Silicon Valley is largely liberal, Zuckerberg may be attempting to regain trust among conservatives after the tech conglomerate was accused of suppressing conservative news in the trending section last year.

Facebook is currently sponsoring the Conservative Political Action Conference by donating $62,500, offering to teach conservative-leaning candidates how to use its platform to best reach the public, and co-hosting a happy hour event.

“FWD.us is mobilizing the tech community in support of policies that keep the American Dream achievable in the 21st century, starting with commonsense immigration reform,” the coalition’s website reads. “Thousands of people from across the country have joined the fight, from grassroots supporters to our world class technologist founders,” which includes Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and several others.

Like FWD.us, several tech companies and their leaders voiced strong disapproval of President Donald Trump’s executive orders covering immigration after the mandate initially went through.

A consortium of 97 companies, including tech giants like Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Uber, filed a legal brief in February opposing the Trump administration’s executive order restricting immigration.

Along with monetary contributions to Trump’s transition process, several other tech companies donated to the 45th president’s inauguration, notably before Trump’s relatively forceful rhetoric on curbing immigration and subsequent executive orders.