Justice Department Sues SpaceX for Discriminating Against Asylees and Refugees in Hiring
United States Department of JusticeAug 24, 2023
The Facts
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the US Justice Department (DOJ) accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of violating federal law by refusing to hire foreign nationals who were granted work permits as refugees or asylum seekers.
In addition to citizenship-based hiring discrimination, the DOJ has alleged that SpaceX "actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company" between September 2018 and May 2022.
The Spin
Narrative A
Ignorance of the law is never a defense; either intentionally or not, the company has followed a discriminatory policy in hiring. Refugees and asylum seekers with work permits are of the same status as US citizens, with Elon Musk seemingly promoting a top-down approach where this isn't the case. At best, this was another one of Musk's blunders and, at worst, an act of blatant and illegal xenophobia.
Narrative B
This is not the first time the DOJ has launched a nonsensical crusade against Elon Musk and SpaceX. The company is simply practicing due diligence by ensuring foreign nationals don't have access to America's sensitive aeronautical industries. The government has a bone to pick with Musk, with the last hiring case imposing obscene and farcical burdens on the company for no apparent reason.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 175K refugees will be admitted to the US from 2021 to 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
