According to a complaint, a skilled nursing facility near San Diego required lawful permanent residents applying for jobs to show their green cards, while allowing U.S. citizens to show any valid work authorization document.
The Department of Justice has settled a discrimination claim against a San Diego, CA-based skilled nursing facility that federal prosecutors allege demonstrated hiring bias against work-authorized non-U.S. citizens.
According to a complaint, Villa Rancho Bernardo Care Center required lawful permanent residents applying for jobs to show their green cards, while allowing U.S. citizens to show any valid work authorization document.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, lawful permanent residents are not required to show their green cards to employers. They may present valid documentation from the Department of Homeland Security's lists of acceptable documents to establish their identity and work authorization, such as a state or federal identification document and an unrestricted Social Security card.
Villa Rancho Bernardo will pay $24,000 in civil penalties and undergo department-provided training on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA and be subject to monitoring requirements, DOJ said.
Villa Rancho Bernardo did not return calls Tuesday.
"The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that individuals who are authorized to work in the United States do not face unlawful, discriminatory barriers," Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said in a media release.
"It is essential that employers review their employment eligibility verification practices to make sure they are in compliance with the law."