US, chipmaker Micron settle claim of immigration-related discrimination

The US Justice Department on Thursday said it has reached a settlement with memory chipmaker Micron Technology Inc to resolve an allegation of immigration-related employment discrimination.

"The settlement resolves the department's determination that Micron violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a US citizen when it failed to hire him for a position and instead hired a temporary visa worker," the Justice Department said in a statement.

Micron will pay a civil penalty to the United States and offer back pay totaling $85,000 to the affected worker, according to the settlement details. The amount of the civil penalty was not specified in the Justice Department statement.


The investigation began when a US citizen worker complained that Micron unfairly denied him employment because of his citizenship status.

The Justice Department said it determined that Micron unlawfully preferred a temporary visa worker for the position, failing to meaningfully consider the US citizen's qualifications.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Along with the penalty and back pay, Micron will also need to train its staff on the anti-discrimination provision of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, change its policies and procedures, and be subject to departmental monitoring for a two-year period, according to the settlement.

Earlier this week, the Justice Department reached a settlement with General Motors Co to resolve the department's allegation that the automaker discriminated against non-US citizens.

The Justice Department also released a fact sheet on Tuesday to help employers avoid immigration-related discrimination.