The US Justice Department announced on Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX for discrimination in hiring refugees, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

In its job postings and hiring from September 2018 to September 2022, SpaceX falsely announced that it could only hire US citizens or green card holders with permanent resident status because of “export control laws” the company had to comply with , said the US Department. Justice in the statement.

“Our investigation found that SpaceX unfairly selected refugees because of their status and imposed a ban on employment without considering their qualifications, in violation of federal law,” explained the US assistant secretary of defense. Quoted by Kristen Clarke, Assistant Secretary of Defense. in release

“Export control laws do not establish such restrictions on employment,” the US Department of Justice emphasized.

The lawsuit seeks compensation, including financial compensation, “for refugees who were denied or denied employment at SpaceX due to this alleged discrimination,” the same press release explained.

Elon Musk’s other company, Tesla, has already been sued by the state of California for racial discrimination at a factory in the city of Fremont. Tesla has already lost a civil lawsuit against a former employee who accused it of discrimination, and Musk’s company was ordered to pay him $3.2 million in damages.

In December 2021, six women also filed a complaint against the California plant, accusing the well-known electric car maker of tolerating sexual harassment in the workplace. At first, one Tesla employee complained about the situation, and soon others joined her.