DOJ Fines Restaurant for Verifying Immigrant Work Permits
The Justice Department reached an 11th-hour settlement with a Minnesota-based restaurant chain for a $95,000 civil penalty in addition to mandatory employment training after the company required “more documents than necessary” to verify workers’ permits.
According to the 7-page settlement, Brick & Bourbon, a restaurant group with three locations in Minnesota, will be required to post forms outlining employees’ rights in both English and Spanish and undergo additional reviews into employment practices.
“It is unlawful for employers to impose additional or unnecessary requirements on employees because of their citizenship status when checking their permission to work,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release Monday. “Discriminatory treatment during any step of the employment process harms workers who are lawfully participating in our economy and can deprive employers of their talents.”
The Justice Department’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section notified the restaurants of the federal investigation in February 2023.
“The investigation found that Respondent required lawful permanent residents, but not similarly-situated U.S. citizens, to present more or different documents than required by law during the employment eligibility verification process,” the settlement read. An example includes “requiring lawful permanent residents to present a Social Security card” after applicants “already presented a valid Permanent Resident Card.” (Read more from “DOJ Fines Restaurant for Verifying Immigrant Work Permits” HERE)
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