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(Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced its decision to withdraw a lawsuit against SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, which had alleged that the company discriminated against certain immigrant applicants.
This development follows the DOJ’s indication last month that it might reconsider the lawsuit, originally filed during the administration of President Joe Biden.
Elon Musk, who has served as an advisor to former President Donald Trump, is currently leading a commission aimed at identifying inefficiencies within the federal government.
In a court filing in Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday, government lawyers requested the court to lift a previously imposed pause on the case, paving the way for a formal dismissal. The Justice Department specified that it would dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, preventing any possibility of it being filed again in the future.
Neither SpaceX nor the Justice Department responded immediately to inquiries regarding the case.
The complaint, filed by the Justice Department in August 2023, accused SpaceX of routinely deterring asylum seekers and refugees from applying for jobs between 2018 and 2022, claiming that the company failed to consider their applications.
The DOJ contended that SpaceX’s job postings and public endorsements claimed hiring was limited to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents due to export control regulations. However, the department clarified that these laws do not mandate such employment restrictions.
SpaceX has refuted the allegations, arguing that export laws indeed impose stringent limitations on its hiring practices. In a court document dated November 16, 2023, the company asserted its commitment to complying with export control regulations while simultaneously ensuring that its hiring processes avoid unlawful discrimination.
The company filed a suit to challenge the administrative complaint, questioning the legitimacy of the DOJ’s in-house enforcement processes overseen by administrative judges. SpaceX contended that these judges were improperly appointed by the U.S. Attorney General, given that their authority should be reserved for presidential appointees.
A judge had temporarily halted the DOJ’s efforts to proceed with the case while evaluating the arguments from both parties.
Both Trump and Musk have publicly expressed their concerns regarding the overreach of federal agencies, including the Department of Justice’s enforcement capabilities.
On his first day in office, Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency, subsequently intensifying deportation measures and implementing sweeping restrictions on asylum claims.
Source
finance.yahoo.com