Feds reach settlement with Facebook over discrimination claims against U.S. workers

The Justice and Labor Departments say they've reached "historic" agreements with Facebook over what they allege were hiring practices that discriminated against U.S.-based workers. 

In December 2020, during the Trump administration, the Justice Department accused the tech giant of abusing labor programs, like the the permanent labor certification program (PERM), and discriminating against American workers. The department claimed in a lawsuit that Facebook was recruiting and hiring temporary visa holders, rather than U.S. workers, for over 2,600 high-paying positions. It said Facebook was reversing its usual employment practices and "sought to channel (jobs) to temporary visa holders."

Facebook, the department alleged, "used recruiting methods designed to deter U.S. workers from applying to certain positions," adding, "Facebook's hiring process for these positions intentionally discriminated against U.S. workers because of their citizenship or immigration status, in violation of the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)."