The Justice Department today reached an agreement with a nationwide residential property management firm headquartered in Dallas, resolving claims that the staffing company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
In a charge filed with the department, a lawful permanent resident alleged that after working for Milestone for three years, the company improperly demanded that he produce an unexpired lawful permanent resident card, despite the fact that he had presented proper work authorization documentation at the time of hire.  The company discharged the worker when he was unable to present the document.  The department’s investigation revealed that the company had also improperly reverified the documentation of other lawful permanent residents when their documentation expired and that it did not reverify expired documentation of U.S. citizens. The anti-discrimination provision generally prohibits treating employees differently in the employment eligibility verification and reverification processes based on citizenship or national origin unless required by law.
In response to the Justice Department’s investigation, the company immediately reinstated the charging party and provided full backpay for his six weeks of lost wages.  Milestone cooperated with the department’s requests for information regarding its employment authorization verification processes throughout the investigation, and took proactive steps in collaboration with the department to provide corrective training for Milestone employees before the investigation had been concluded.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company agreed to pay $20,000 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo Justice Department training on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA and be subject to monitoring of its employment eligibility verification practices for a period of three years.
