SpaceX—DOJ sued SpaceX for systematically discriminating against asylees and refugees in hiring
In August 2023, the DOJ sued SpaceX for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act by routinely discouraging and refusing to hire asylees and refugees from September 2018 through May 2022. SpaceX falsely claimed export control laws barred hiring non-citizens and green card holders, screening applicants by citizenship status. Out of nearly 10,000 hires, only one asylee was hired - four months after the DOJ investigation began. The case was dismissed in February 2025 after the Trump administration took office, with Musk calling it 'lawfare.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEI Programs | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Immigration Openness | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.885 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
DOJ filed lawsuit alleging SpaceX discriminated against asylees and refugees in hiring
The DOJ sued SpaceX for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act by routinely discouraging and refusing to hire asylees and refugees. SpaceX falsely claimed export control laws barred hiring non-citizens. Out of nearly 10,000 hires between 2018-2022, only one asylee was hired.