The Justice Department announced it secured a settlement agreement with Micron Technology, a Boise, Idaho-based semiconductor memory and storage manufacturer, over a claim that it discriminated against a US citizen by hiring a temporary visa worker instead.
“Companies cannot unlawfully discriminate against a job applicant because they prefer to hire someone with a different citizenship or immigration status,” said Kristen Clark, assistant attorney general of the department’s civil rights division. “We will continue to hold companies accountable, both big and small, for their violations of this federal civil rights law.”
Under the settlement, Micron will pay a civil penalty to the US and offer back pay totaling $85,000 to the affected worker.
The department’s investigation began when a US citizen worker complained that Micron unfairly denied him employment because of his citizenship status. The department determined that the company unlawfully preferred a temporary visa worker for the position, failing to meaningfully consider the US citizen’s qualifications, according to the Department of Justice.
The DOJ noted that the agreement also requires Micron to train its staff on the Immigration and Nationality Act’s anti-discrimination provision, change its policies and procedures and be subject to departmental monitoring for two years.