MADRID, 24 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United States Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), a company founded and directed by Elon Musk, for discriminating against asylees and refugees in the company's hiring processes.

Thus, the lawsuit alleges that, from at least September 2018 to May 2022, SpaceX routinely discouraged asylees and refugees from applying and refused to hire or consider them, based on their citizenship status, in violation of the Act. of Immigration and Nationality (INA).

In this regard, the Department of Justice maintains that, in its job advertisements and public statements, SpaceX erroneously stated that it could only hire US citizens and legal permanent residents as a result of federal regulations, when export control laws do not impose such restrictions on hiring.

"Our investigation found that SpaceX failed to fairly consider and hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hiring regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law," the statement said. Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Area, Kristen Clarke.

Likewise, the complaint states that recruiters and high-level personnel of SpaceX "took measures that actively discouraged" asylees and refugees from seeking job opportunities in the company.

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