Exclusive-Amazon, Walmart shareholder pushes firms to report impact of Trump's immigration policies
Yahoo Finance·2025-12-18 00:08

Core Viewpoint - A union-aligned investment group, SOC Investment Group, is seeking disclosures from Amazon, Walmart, and Alphabet regarding the financial and supply chain impacts of U.S. President Trump's immigration policies, particularly concerning H-1B visa regulations [1][2]. Group 1: Investment Group's Actions - SOC Investment Group owns less than 1% of Amazon, Walmart, and Alphabet, and is particularly focused on how these companies will manage the new $100,000 fee structure for H-1B visa approvals [2]. - The group has previously succeeded in convincing companies to conduct racial-equity audits and increase transparency about their lobbying efforts [2]. Group 2: Labor Market Concerns - The Executive Director of SOC, Tejal Patel, emphasized that the availability of skilled labor is critical for long-term company performance, and failure to hire the right talent could threaten company value [3]. - SOC is also inquiring how Trump's immigration policies, including farm raids, are affecting the trucking and farming sectors essential for supermarket supply chains [3]. Group 3: Shareholder Engagement - SOC Investment Group holds approximately 17 million shares of Walmart, 31 million shares of Amazon, and 41 million shares of Alphabet [4]. - The letters sent by SOC come in the context of new regulations being considered for proxy advisors, which could allow companies to disregard shareholder proposals more easily [6]. Group 4: Potential Actions - SOC is aiming for a "productive engagement" with the companies for more disclosures but is also considering litigation if the companies do not include the resolution in their proxy statements [7].