The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) is pursuing legal action against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, accusing the company of involving itself in unlawful hiring practices against migrants. The suit claims that SpaceX deliberately excluded job applicants based on their immigration status, which violates federal law. This situation has sparked a legal conflict that illuminates employment discrimination and its effects on workers and corporations.
The US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) lodged a complaint against SpaceX on Thursday, alleging that the company consistently denied migrant job applicants based on immigration status rather than qualifications, thus violating US federal law.
Between September 2018 and September 2020, SpaceX recruited exclusively US citizens or lawful permanent residents, excluding both asylees and refugees.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated, “Our investigation also found that SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company.”
SpaceX’s biased practices affected various job roles such as welders, cooks, IT specialists, software engineers, and marketing professionals, as outlined in the filed complaint.
Despite having authorized work and residence status, asylees and refugees—individuals who underwent a US government vetting process after escaping persecution—found themselves unjustly sidelined from the hiring process.
SpaceX attempted to justify its actions by asserting that export-controlled items prevented refugees and asylees from handling specific goods, software, technology, and technical data. However, the Department of Justice discredited this claim.
In addition to potentially imposing civil fines, the Department of Justice is actively working to ensure equitable treatment and provide back pay to individuals who might have encountered unfair practices during the hiring process.
The Justice Department encourages asylees and refugees affected by SpaceX’s policies or possessing pertinent information to reach out for further steps. Initiating a charge can be accomplished electronically.
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