The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, accusing the company of discriminatory hiring practices towards refugees and asylum seekers. The lawsuit claims that between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX wrongly limited its hiring to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, violating federal law. The DOJ’s investigation found that SpaceX actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking employment opportunities at the company.
Despite receiving more than 10,000 hires during the investigated period, SpaceX employed only one individual identified as an asylee. The DOJ lawsuit seeks fair consideration, back pay, civil penalties, and policy changes from SpaceX. This legal action follows a previous subpoena-related dispute between the DOJ and SpaceX over the investigation.