Justice Department Settles Immigration-related Discrimination Claim

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wesdnesday, July 3, 2013

Justice Department Settles Immigration-related Discrimination Claim Against Alabama Employment Agency

The Justice Department today reached an agreement with Stellar Staffing LLC, based in Birmingham, Ala., resolving claims that the employment agency violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

The  department’s independent investigation was initiated based on evidence uncovered during the investigation of a related retaliation charge filed against Stellar Staffing.  The department’s investigation concluded that since at least July 2008, the company required specific documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security from non-U.S. citizens during the employment eligibility verification process, but accepted a variety of identity and work authorization documentation from U.S. citizens.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Stellar Staffing will pay $2,250 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo Justice Department training on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA and be subject to monitoring of its employment eligibility verification practices for a period of one year.  

“The anti-discrimination provision protects work-authorized individuals from being treated differently in the hiring process based on discriminatory assumptions about their status,” said Gregory Friel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “The Civil Rights Division is fully committed to vigorously enforcing the law.”