Justice Department Resolves Citizenship Status Discrimination Charge Against California Employer

WASHINGTON – American Education and Travel Services Inc. (AETS) in Antioch, Calif., has agreed to pay $10,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to a lawful permanent resident who was denied a residential counselor position because he was not a U.S. citizen or native English speaker, the Justice Department announced today. 

The settlement agreement was jointly negotiated by the department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  The underlying charge alleged that AETS violated both the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.  In addition to monetary relief for the victim, the agreement requires AETS to provide its managers and employees training on the anti-discrimination requirements of both the INA and Title VII, adopt nondiscrimination policies with respect to recruitment and hiring, and maintain and submit records to the United States for the two-year term of the agreement.

“Federal law protects authorized workers discrimination based on unlawful citizenship requirements,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “The Justice Department is committed to working with the EEOC to eliminate this kind of discrimination.” 

The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, which prohibits employers from discriminating against work-authorized individuals on the basis of citizenship status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or referral for a fee.

For more information about protections against employment discrimination under federal immigration law, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2525, TDD for hearing impaired), OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8255 (1-800-362-2735, TDD for hearing impaired), or 202-616-5594; email osccrt@usdoj.gov ; or visit the website at www.justice/gov/crt/osc .