US bars IT firm from sponsoring green cards, imposes $2m settlement

WASHINGTON: The United States has barred California-based technology company Cloudera Inc. from participating in the employment-based green card process for two years and secured a $2 million settlement over allegations that it discriminated against qualified American workers. The settlement was announced jointly by the US Department of Justice and the Department of Labour. It resolves a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department in April, alleging that Cloudera violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by discriminating against American workers while recruiting for seven positions under the Permanent Labour Certification, or PERM, programme. Under the settlement, Cloudera will establish a $1. 4m fund to compensate qualified US workers who tried to apply for the positions but were not given fair consideration. The company will also pay $600,000 in civil penalties to the US government.

“There are no exceptions: the Justice Department will hold accountable employers who discriminate against US workers,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. The warning has wider implications for future employment-based green card applications. Employers found to have discriminated against qualified American workers could face penalties and restrictions on their ability to sponsor foreign employees, potentially disrupting the permanent residency plans of those workers. The Cloudera case demonstrates how enforcement action against an employer can directly affect foreign professionals seeking green cards through company sponsorship. The company will also face enhanced monitoring, revised compliance procedures and reporting requirements designed to prevent future violations. The two-year debarment follows an earlier suspension of…