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Press Release

Justice Department Settles Claim Against Nevada Taxicab Companies for Discrimination Against Immigrants

For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Nevada Yellow Cab Corporation, Nevada Checker Cab Corporation, and Nevada Star Cab Corporation – three Las Vegas, Nevada, taxicab companies that collectively operate under the umbrella company “Yellow Checker Star Transportation Company” (YCS).  The agreement resolves claims that YCS discriminated against work-authorized immigrants because of their citizenship status.

The Justice Department’s investigation found that YCS violated the Immigration and Nationality Act’s (INA) anti-discrimination provision by requiring non-U.S. citizens, but not similarly-situated U.S. citizens, to present additional and unnecessary documentation to prove their employment eligibility.  The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from placing additional burdens on work-authorized employees during the hiring and employment eligibility verification process because of their citizenship status or national origin.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, YCS will pay $445,000 in civil penalties to the United States, place print advertisements in a monthly trade publication for a period of six non-consecutive months advising employees of the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, undergo monitoring for three years, and train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision. 

“Employers are not permitted to impede the employment opportunities of work-authorized immigrants by imposing additional and unnecessary documentary requirements upon them,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division.  “The Civil Rights Division commends Yellow Checker Star Transportation Company for working with the division to educate members of the Las Vegas community about their rights under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”

The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), which is handling this investigation, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.  The provision protects work-authorized individuals from employment discrimination on the basis of citizenship status or national origin, including discrimination in hiring, firing and the employment eligibility verification process.  Trial Attorneys Linda White Andrews, Pablo A. Godoy and Kayla Gassmann of the Civil Rights Division handled this matter.

For more information about protections against employment discrimination under federal immigration law, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TDD for hearing impaired); call OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TDD for hearing impaired); e-mail osccrt@usdoj.gov; or visit OSC’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.

Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to: different documentary requirements based on their citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact OSC’s worker hotline for assistance.

Updated June 9, 2023

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Civil Rights
Press Release Number: 15-1292