The Justice Department accused Facebook of
creating 2,600 high-paying jobs for highly-skilled immigrant workers
, H-1B visa holders, without first looking at how the law requires US citizens to fill those vacancies.
According to a 17-page lawsuit filed Thursday,
the company "intentionally discriminates" against US workers
by creating jobs that are reserved for immigrants on temporary visas in the country.
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"For these positions reserved for temporary visa holders, Facebook does not advertise the positions on its website, does not accept applications online, and requires candidates to submit their applications by mail," the lawsuit states.
“Even when American workers apply for the job, Facebook doesn't consider them.
Instead, it fills vacancies exclusively with temporary visa holders. "
The legislation establishes that companies, before hiring an immigrant,
must search among American workers
to fill the vacancy.
If a US worker who meets the job requirements is available, the law prohibits companies from hiring a foreign person.
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According to the lawsuit, the median salary for jobs given to immigrants is $ 156,865.
Although Facebook
received more than 4,000 job applications from US workers
, none were considered for those openings reserved for immigrants, according to the lawsuit.
"Facebook has been cooperating with the [Department of Justice] in their review of this issue and while we dispute the allegations in the lawsuit, we are unable to comment further on the pending litigation," a company spokesperson told NPR.
The Administration headed by Donald Trump has imposed restrictions on the H-1B visa program under the pretext of protecting American workers from competition from foreign labor, although these visas are often offered to professionals who are scarce in the local labor market.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, technology companies such as Facebook
rely on the H-1B visa program to carry out important technology projects
, since there are not enough American graduates of science and engineering majors to cover the job requirements.
The unemployment rate for computer professionals is just 3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With information from The Wall Street Journal and NPR.
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