Elon Musk's SpaceX sued for allegedly hiring discrimination against asylees and refugees

The U.S. Justice Department sued Elon Musk-owned rocket and satellite company SpaceX on Thursday for allegedly discriminating against asylees and refugees in hiring.

Washington: The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has sued SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, accusing the company of discriminatory hiring practices against asylees and refugees.

According to the complaint filed in an administrative court within the department, SpaceX is alleged to have systematically discouraged asylees and refugees from applying for jobs and subsequently refused to hire them due to their citizenship status. The lawsuit claims that this practice violates the US Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

The lawsuit points out that, between September 2018 and May 2022, SpaceX made false claims in job postings and public statements, asserting that they were constrained by "export control laws" to exclusively hire US citizens and lawful permanent residents. The investigation found that these claims were inaccurate.

“Our investigation found that SpaceX failed to fairly consider or hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hire regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.

“Asylees and refugees have overcome many obstacles in their lives, and unlawful employment discrimination based on their citizenship status should not be one of them,” Clarke added.

The lawsuit alleges that SpaceX's discriminatory behaviour occurred at various stages of the hiring process. The company purportedly utilized public announcements, job applications, and online recruitment communications that excluded asylees and refugees, thus discouraging them from applying. Moreover, SpaceX is accused of not giving proper consideration to applications submitted by these individuals and rejecting them solely due to their citizenship status.

The lawsuit seeks equitable consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were dissuaded from or denied employment at SpaceX due to the alleged discriminatory practices.