The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking legal action against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, alleging it showed bias against refugees and asylees during its hiring process. The lawsuit filed asserts that from September 2018 to May 2022, SpaceX misled potential hires by stating they only employ U.S. citizens and valid permanent residents. Despite these claims, asylees and refugees still applied, but the DOJ believes SpaceX didn’t give them due consideration or opportunities.
Moreover, the company allegedly stated that U.S. export laws restrict them to hire only citizens and lawful residents, a claim disputed by the DOJ. The department further asserts that between September 2018 to September 2020, SpaceX’s workforce mainly consisted of U.S. citizens and green card holders.
The DOJ’s interest in SpaceX isn’t new. In 2020, its Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) began probing the company for potential discriminatory hiring practices. Yet, according to the DOJ, SpaceX was uncooperative, providing necessary documentation only after a subpoena was issued over a year later. By November 2022, IER concluded their investigation, finding that SpaceX might have consistently shown unfair bias in its employment practices related to immigration status.
Elon Musk’s own words form part of the evidence. Videos of him discussing employment constraints and a post he made on X (previously Twitter) emphasizing the need for a green card for hiring at SpaceX, due to rockets being classified as high-tech weaponry, have been cited.
Kristen Clarke from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division stated that the investigation identified that SpaceX might have unduly rejected or overlooked asylees and refugees based on their nationality, possibly breaking federal laws.
Despite these controversies, SpaceX has been a significant contributor to US space missions, collaborating closely with NASA.
As part of the lawsuit, the DOJ aims to secure fair treatment and compensation for those refugees and asylees who might have missed out on employment opportunities at SpaceX. The department is also pursuing undetermined civil fines. They are also encouraging affected individuals to reach out to the IER for any grievances related to SpaceX’s hiring practices.
