DOJ reaches settlement with UPS over immigration-related discrimination claims

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it has reached a settlement with UPS over immigration-related discrimination claims the department found in its investigation of the company. 

In a statement published Monday, the department said the latest settlement resolves its claims that UPS discriminated against a non-U.S. citizen by asking him to present additional documents to prove his permission to work with the company. 

An investigation found that the company requested a recently hired lawful permanent resident in Jacksonville, Fla., to send his Permanent Resident Card and “work visa,” to prove his permission to work, even though the hired employee showed his driver’s license and unrestricted social security card, which is considered sufficient proof. 

The department’s investigation also found that UPS asked the resident to provide additional documents after getting a data entry error notification from the propriety software program the shipping company uses to access E-Verify and verify employees, according to the statement.

When the company received the data entry error notification, they still asked the employee to provide additional documents instead of checking for the error, noting UPS checked these types of notices for U.S. citizen employees, the DOJ said. 

This comes as the DOJ said UPS violated the Immigration and Nationality Act’s anti-discrimination provision, which prohibits companies from asking employees for unnecessary documents that prove their permission to work due to their citizenship status. 

“When checking an individual’s permission to work, employers cannot ask for more documents than necessary based on a worker’s citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s civil rights division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting workers from unnecessary document requests based on citizenship status and national origin.”

The Hill has reached out to the UPS for comment and more information.