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We ride together: supporting Via’s diverse community

Written by Via Transportation | Jan 30, 2017 5:00:00 AM

To all members of the Via community,

We founded Via because we believed cities become better - more friendly, less congested, less polluted - when we share a ride.

Our idea has succeeded in bringing together thousands of drivers and hundreds of thousands of riders because at its heart is the belief that we are all one community, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or nationality. Distinguishing between us based solely on faith or citizenship shatters the very foundation on which Via is built.

We are deeply concerned about President Trump’s executive order on immigration, which runs counter to our fundamental values and directly impacts many in our own community.

Via wouldn’t be Via without immigrants. I am an immigrant and our employees have come to the U.S. from 17 different countries. So many of our drivers and riders are immigrants or were born to immigrants. By broadly targeting refugees, as well as those who seek to enter the U.S. from specific countries, the President’s executive order sends a chilling message to us all.

Our belief is simple: We’re all Via-istas, and we all ride together.

If you are worried about how the immigration ban may impact you, we are here to help!

– We’re offering free legal counseling to all drivers and riders who are affected. Stay tuned for more information.

– We’re creating a fund to support any of our driver partners who face legal expenses related to this ban.

We pledge to continue to advocate on behalf of the entire Via community and speak out in defense of our values.

If you’d like to help, we encourage you to consider supporting organizations that provide assistance to immigrants and refugees, including:
The New York Immigration Coalition
The National Immigration Law Center
The International Refugee Assistance Project

With love,

Daniel Ramot
Via Co-founder and CEO