DOJ sues SpaceX for hiring discrimination

The U.S. Department of Justice sues SpaceX for discriminatory hiring practices, accusing the company of discouraging asylum seekers from applying to open positions and refusing to hire those who did. The complaint says SpaceX’s “routine, widespread, and longstanding” hiring practices “harmed asylees and refugees,” alleging that its job postings wrongly stated that only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents could apply. (Exactly which positions those were is unclear, but U.S. law protects asylees and refugees from hiring discrimination in general, regardless of their citizenship status.) After the investigation began, Musk tweeted:

US law requires at least a green card to be hired at SpaceX, as rockets are considered advanced weapons technology.

The DOJ says Musk was incorrect, however, and the tweet is being used as evidence in the suit.