Google's Sundar Pichai joins CEOs in White House meeting on immigration

By Justin Sink

Alphabet Inc.’s Sundar Pichai and Accenture PLC’s Julie Sweet were among nearly 40 chief executives to press the White House on immigration and offer potential solutions in a Thursday meeting as concerns mount that undocumented migrants are straining resources in major cities across the US. 

The group, Welcome.US, a refugee resettlement nonprofit, met with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and pledged new resources for refugees who arrive in America. Commitments included credits for ride-share services and public transportation, pro bono legal services, workforce training, and support for the government’s public service announcement campaign seeking to divert those entering the country illegally to new refugee pathways. That campaign was unveiled by the administration earlier this year.

Welcome.US, a public-private partnership, also discussed ways to meet immediate needs in areas impacted by migration, including the delivery of goods and services and proactively engaging other communities to welcome individuals in search of work and shelter, the White House said in a statement.

Mayors in some cities, including New York’s Eric Adams, have asked the federal government to increase support for arriving migrants. 

President Joe Biden’s administration has requested $600 million from Congress for housing, and said it will work with cities to facilitate work permits for eligible asylum seekers.