The US DOJ sues SpaceX, alleging discrimination against refugees and asylees

SpaceX has not released any statements regarding the accusations.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's space exploration company, SpaceX, accusing it of discriminating against refugees and asylum seekers in its hiring process. The DOJ alleges that SpaceX falsely claimed it was not allowed to hire non-US citizens and routinely refused to consider applicants because of their citizenship status. The lawsuit covers the period from September 2018 to May 2022, during which time the company was accused of discouraging asylees and refugees from applying for positions ranging from rocket engineering to dishwashing and cooking. According to SpaceX, it was only permitted to hire US citizens and green card holders because of export control laws. However, the DOJ claims that these laws do not require companies to impose such restrictions on their hiring practices.

The DOJ is demanding that SpaceX provide back pay for those who were denied employment because of the alleged discrimination. In response to the lawsuit, SpaceX has not released any statements regarding the accusations. This is not the first time a company founded by Elon Musk has been accused of discriminatory behavior. A group of former employees of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now X, filed a lawsuit against Musk earlier this month, alleging age, gender, and racial discrimination. The DOJ's lawsuit against SpaceX is seen as a blow to the reputation and credibility of the company. The allegations of discriminatory behavior could damage SpaceX's standing in the business world, including the lucrative deals it has secured with NASA.