DOJ Sues Elon Musk's SpaceX For Alleged Hiring Discrimination

The Justice Department is suing Elon Musk's SpaceX for alleged discrimination in hiring practices.

What To Know: The DOJ filed a lawsuit against SpaceX Thursday for discriminating against asylees and refugees when hiring.

The DOJ alleged that the space exploration company "routinely discouraged asylees and refugees from applying and refused to hire or consider them, because of their citizenship status" from September 2018 to May 2022. If proven true, SpaceX would be in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SpaceX said it could only hire U.S. citizens due to export control laws in its job postings, but export control laws impose no such hiring restrictions, the DOJ said. 

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The lawsuit alleges that SpaceX discriminated against asylees and refugees in several ways including, discouraging them from applying, failing to consider their applications and refusing to hire them.

"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," said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

"Through this lawsuit we will hold SpaceX accountable for its illegal employment practices and seek relief that allows asylees and refugees to fairly compete for job opportunities and contribute their talents to SpaceX’s workforce."

The DOJ is seeking fair consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were deterred from applying or denied employment because of the alleged discrimination. The Justice Department is also seeking civil penalties and policy changes that ensure that SpaceX complies with the Immigration and Nationality Act moving forward. 

SpaceX is a private company founded by Musk. The billionaire is estimated to own about 44% of the company. SpaceX is currently valued at approximately $150 billion based on recent share sales. 

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