Mark Zuckerberg’s nonprofit cuts ties with the immigration advocacy group he co-founded
This is Mark Zuckerberg: man of principles. Witness Meta CEO’s dedication to the noblest cause: “currying favor to whoever is in charge.” In 2013, when Barack Obama was president, Zuckerberg co-founded FWD.usa pro-immigration advocacy group. For years, he openly supported access to citizenship for “the most talented and hard-working people, no matter where they were born.” Now, in 2025, with Donald Trump returning to power and his draconian immigration policies, Zuckerberg’s philanthropic organization has officially severed ties with the group. Who said Big Tech leaders don’t stand for anything?
Friday, Bloomberg reported that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) had severed ties with FWD.us. Zuckerberg’s group provided no funding to the advocacy group for the first time this year. Until then, more than half of the roughly $400 million contributed to the nonprofit since 2013 came from CZI.
Additionally, CZI Chief of Staff Jordan Fox resigned from the FWD.us advice. No one else at CZI will fill the vacancy, another first for the pro-immigration and justice reform advocacy group.
In a statement to Engadget, a CZI spokesperson said the change had been in the works for several years. “Nearly five years ago, we said we were focused on our core work in science, education and supporting our local communities,” the spokesperson said. “As part of this transition, we have committed core funding to FWD.us continue their bipartisan work. We have fulfilled this financial commitment and ended our social defense funding. She added that the couple’s Biohub initiative currently constitutes their “major philanthropy.”
Mark Zuckerberg listens intently to Stephen Miller at Trump’s inauguration in January (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images)
In late 2024, Zuckerberg met with Trump advisor Stephen Miller, who reacts to brown-skinned humans sent to foreign gulags the same way my dog reacts to a juicy steak. Among other topics during the exchange, Miller reportedly questioned Zuckerberg’s ties to FWD.us.
Apparently his words echoed Zuckerberg’s principles. In January, before Trump was sworn in for his second term, Meta launched an overhaul that reads like a Miller wish list. The company ended its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The same month, he abandoned third-party fact-checkers, calling them “too politically biased.” It also changed its policies to allow “offensive language” on topics related to immigration and LGBTQ+ issues. The company even added Trump backer Dana White to its board of directors.
This fits a broader pattern of Big Tech kneeling to Trump.
“We’re in the middle of a fairly rapidly evolving political and regulatory landscape that views any policy that might advantage one group of people over another as something illegal,” Zuckerberg said at the press conference. New York Times in January. “Because of this, we and all other institutions are going to have to adapt.”
“We now have an American administration that is proud of our leading companies, that prioritizes American technological conquest, and that will defend our values and interests abroad,” Zuckerberg said during an investor call in January. “I’m optimistic about the progress and innovation that this can unlock. So it’s going to be a big year.”
What a big year indeed.
Chief U.S. Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino and masked ICE agents in New Orleans (Ryan Murphy via Getty Images)
This is now evidenced by the contrasting remarks of one of Zuckerberg’s main rivals in Silicon Valley. “When you meet them [immigrant] “This appears to be one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time.”
This “rival”, of course, was Mark Zuckerberg, during the Obama era, in 2013.
Despite the financial setback, thanks to our principled hero, FWD.us will move forward. “We are grateful to our donors, past and present, and very grateful to the many new donors who have increased in recent years – and especially to the influx of new supporters we have seen this year.” FWD.us » President Todd Schulte said in a statement. “This allows us to fight for immigrants under attack today and build a better approach to immigration and criminal justice reform for many, many years to come.”
Updated, December 19, 2025, 1:19 p.m. PT: This story has been updated to include a statement from a spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
