Lawsuit Accuses SpaceX of Discriminating Against Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Hiring Practices
On Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, a rocket and satellite company owned by Elon Musk, accusing them of engaging in discriminatory hiring practices against asylum seekers and refugees.
“The lawsuit alleges that from at least September 2018 through May 2022, SpaceX routinely failed to encourage asylum seekers and refugees to apply and refused to hire or consider them because of their citizenship, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
In job postings and public statements for several years, SpaceX falsely claimed that under federal regulations known as the Export Control Act, SpaceX could hire only U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, sometimes called “green card holders,” the Justice Department said.
The Justice Department also cited the company’s billionaire owner Musk’s online posts as an example of “discriminatory public statements.”
The lawsuit cited a June 2020 message on X, formerly known as Twitter, from CEO Musk to his then-36 million followers, which said, “U.S. law requires at least a green card to hire SpaceX because rockets are advanced weapons technology.”
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
“Our investigation found that SpaceX did not fairly consider or hire refugees and asylum seekers because of their citizenship and barred them from hiring regardless of their qualifications, in violation of federal law,” said Assistant US Attorney Kristen Clarke. Civil Rights Division of the Ministry of Justice.
Clarke also said that SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials “actively discouraged” asylum seekers and refugees from seeking employment opportunities with the company.
The United States is seeking fair compensation and restitution for asylum seekers and refugees who were intimidated or denied jobs at SpaceX because of alleged discrimination, the Justice Department said.
The lawsuit also seeks court-ordered civil penalties and policy changes to ensure SpaceX complies with federal nondiscrimination mandates in the future.
