The Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken legal action against SpaceX, the space company owned by Elon Musk, accusing them of discriminatory hiring practices against refugees and asylees. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that SpaceX consistently discouraged refugees and asylees from applying for jobs and refused to hire or consider them based on their citizenship status, which violates the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The DOJ cited evidence showing that from September 2018 to September 2020, SpaceX only hired U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. The lawsuit also highlights other discriminatory practices employed by the company.
One of the alleged practices outlined by the DOJ is SpaceX’s inclusion of false information in job postings, stating that federal regulations known as “export control laws” require the company to hire U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. However, these laws do not impose any such hiring restrictions, as clarified by the DOJ. Asylees and refugees have permission to live and work in the United States indefinitely, and they are on equal footing with U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents under export control laws. The DOJ emphasizes that SpaceX can hire asylees and refugees for any position and that once hired, they have the same access rights to export-controlled information and materials as U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The alleged discriminatory practices are claimed to have been applied to a wide range of job positions, including welders, cooks, crane operators, baristas, dishwashers, information technology specialists, software engineers, business analysts, rocket engineers, and marketing professionals.
The DOJ launched an investigation into SpaceX following a complaint from a noncitizen regarding the hiring practices. Refugees and individuals granted asylum are encouraged to contact the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section if they have experienced any of the discriminatory acts described in the lawsuit.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, in a press release, expressed the DOJ’s commitment to holding SpaceX accountable for its illegal employment practices. Clarke emphasized that asylees and refugees have already overcome numerous obstacles in their lives and should not face unlawful employment discrimination based on their citizenship status. The DOJ seeks relief that ensures fair competition for job opportunities and allows asylees and refugees to contribute their talents to SpaceX’s workforce.
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