On Saturday, The New York City Taxi Workers Alliance called for a temporary halt to rides heading to John F. Kennedy airport. Several immigrant detainees were being held at a terminal there before being released when a judge intervened to block parts of Trump's executive order.
Uber continued to carry passengers to the airport. The company announced shortly after 730 p.m. Eastern that it would temporarily suspend surge pricing, but it was too late.
Users—angered by the fact that the company didn't completely halt service in solidarity—lashed out by vowing to delete their Uber applications.
A spokesperson contacted by CNBC said Uber was "sorry for any confusion about our earlier tweet—it was not meant to break up any strike. We wanted people to know they could use Uber to get to and from JFK at normal prices, especially last night."
In response to a growing controversy, Uber announced it would create a $3 million defense fund to help cover the legal expenses associated with the executive order.