Aug. 24 (UPI) — The Justice Department has taken legal action against SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, alleging discriminatory hiring practices against asylees and refugees.
The lawsuit states that between September 2018 and May 2022, SpaceX, also known as Space Exploration Technologies, consistently discouraged asylees and refugees from submitting job applications and failed to consider or hire them on the basis of their citizenship status, which is a violation of federal immigration laws.
“Following our investigation, it was found that SpaceX unlawfully discriminated against asylees and refugees due to their citizenship status and imposed a de facto ban on their employment, regardless of their qualifications,” stated Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.
“Furthermore, our investigation uncovered evidence that SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials actively discouraged asylees and refugees from pursuing job opportunities with the company. Asylees and refugees have already faced many challenges in their lives, and unlawful employment discrimination based on their citizenship status should not be one of them.”
The Justice Department revealed that SpaceX had inaccurately claimed, in job postings and public statements over several years, that under “export control laws” it was restricted to hiring only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
“The United States is seeking fair consideration and backpay for asylees and refugees who were deterred or denied employment at SpaceX as a result of this alleged discrimination,” the Justice Department said.
“Additionally, the United States is pursuing civil penalties, an amount to be determined by the court, as well as policy changes to ensure compliance with the nondiscrimination mandate of the Immigration and Nationality Act moving forward.”
The Justice Department initiated an investigation into SpaceX in 2021 following a complaint of discriminatory hiring practices against non-U.S. citizens. Elon Musk was accused of obstructing the investigation by refusing to comply with a subpoena for information.
The DOJ’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section received a complaint from a non-U.S. citizen alleging employment discrimination based on his citizenship status.
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