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Celebrities, Tech VIPs Donate Cash to ACLU to Fight Trump

Celebrities including singer Sia and high-profile figures in the tech community led the fundraising charge to support the ACLU and other nonprofits.
Image: Singer Sia at The Voice, Season 9
Singer Sia at The Voice, Season 9.NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
/ Source: NBC News

The American Civil Liberties Union took in more than $24 million over the weekend in a surge of online donations following President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration.

The organization typically raises a total of about $4 million online annually.

Celebrities including singer Sia and high-profile figures in the tech community led the fundraising charge to support the ACLU and other nonprofits working on behalf of Muslims and refugees.

The ACLU also said its membership had doubled since the election and is now at more than 1 million members.

The group's complaint was one of several over the weekend successful in temporarily blocking deportations under Trump's new national security initiative.

The new rules issued Friday temporarily ban entry to the U.S. by refugees seeking asylum and people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The order and subsequent detention of dozens of travelers into the U.S. set off a wave of protests at airports across the nation and on social media.

Hillary Clinton tweeted to her followers saying the temporary restrictions on refugees and others "is not who we are."

Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky said the company would do all it could to provide free housing for refugees and anyone not allowed in the U.S.