WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with a security services company in the U.S. in an immigration-related discrimination case.
The case was settled with U.S. Security Associates Inc., or USSA, who agreed to pay $194,000 in fine and ensure that their Falls Church office complies with the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The DOJ had conducted an investigation into a complaint against USSA's Falls Church, Virginia office, alleging that it violated the anti-discrimination provision by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when verifying their work authorization documents.
It was found in the investigation that from January 1, 2015, to July 30, 2018, USSA's Falls Church office required lawful permanent residents to provide specific documentation to prove their work authorization, while not imposing a similar requirement on U.S. citizens.
The Department of Justice said this was in violation of the federal law, which allows all work-authorized individuals, regardless of citizenship status, to choose which valid, legally acceptable documents to present to demonstrate their ability to work in the United States.
The anti-discrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from requesting more or different documents than necessary to prove work authorization based on employees' citizenship status or national origin.
The company will be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. Additionally, some of its employees will have to attend training on the requirements of the anti-discrimination provision, the DoJ said.
USSA was recently acquired by Allied Universal Holdco LLC, the largest private security firm in the United States.
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