The Justice Department reached an agreement today with TEG Staffing Inc., also known as Eastridge Workforce Solutions, a temporary staffing agency headquartered in San Diego, to resolve allegations that their Mira Mesa, California, office discriminated against work-authorized non-U.S. citizens in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

The department's investigation found that from at least March 2014 until at least September 2015, Eastridge had a pattern or practice of requesting specific immigration documents from non-U.S. citizens for the Form I-9 and E-Verify processes.  In contrast, Eastridge allowed U.S. citizens to present whichever valid documents they wanted to present to prove their work authorization.  Under the INA, all workers, including non-U.S. citizens, must be allowed to choose whichever valid documentation they would like to present from the Lists of Acceptable Documents to prove their work authorization, such as a driver's license and unrestricted Social Security card.  It is unlawful for an employer to limit employees' choice of documentation because of their citizenship or immigration status.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Eastridge will pay $175,000 in civil penalties, and among other provisions, will undergo department monitoring and review of its processes for verifying the work authorization of newly hired employees.

“Staffing agencies and employers must comply with federal law to ensure they don't discriminate against lawful, authorized U.S. workers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.  “Workers who get a job through a staffing agency should not confront unfair and unlawful barriers to joining the workforce and contributing to our economy.”

The Civil Rights Division's Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.  Thelaw prohibits, among other things, citizenship, immigration status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices in employment eligibility verification; retaliation and intimidation.

This matter was handled by Equal Opportunity Specialists Tran-Chau Le and Abigail Olson, and Senior Trial Attorney Liza Zamd of the OSC.

To learn more about the protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call OSC's worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call OSC's employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php; email [email protected]

Email links icon

or visit OSC's website atwww.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.

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

Eastridge Settlement

Civil Rights Division

Civil Rights – Immigration Related Unfair Employment

Topic: Civil Rights   Immigration Updated August 15, 2016

The Justice Department / 16-948 / August 15, 2016