The US government has recently filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, accusing the company of violating the Immigration and Citizenship Act. The Department of Justice (DOJ) claims that SpaceX has been discriminating against asylum seekers in its hiring process. The DOJ alleges that SpaceX falsely claimed that it is not allowed to hire non-US citizens. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, this claim is tantamount to a ban on hiring asylum seekers and refugees based on their citizenship status, which violates federal law.

The lawsuit also alleges that from September 2018 to May 2022, SpaceX routinely discouraged asylum seekers and refugees from applying and refused to hire them based on their citizenship status. This practice is considered a violation of the Immigration and Citizenship Act.

Moreover, the DOJ points out that SpaceX’s job postings and public statements have falsely claimed that the company can only hire US citizens or lawful permanent residents, also known as ‘green card holders’, due to export control laws. The lawsuit even cites an tweet posted by Elon Musk in June 2020, in which he stated that a green card is required to be hired at SpaceX because rockets are considered advanced weapons technology.

It is important to note that these allegations have been made by the US Department of Justice and SpaceX has not yet responded to the lawsuit. This is a developing story, and more details are expected to emerge as the legal process unfolds.