Justice Department files lawsuit against community colleges in Maricopa County
The Arizona Republic
August 31, 2010
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Maricopa County Community College District on Monday, accusing it of discrimination for requiring extra paperwork from new employees who were not U.S. citizens.
The suit claims that at least 247 newly hired employees who were not citizens were required to present additional work-authorization documents beyond those required by law between July 2008 and January 2010.
The district, which did not require the extra documents from U.S. citizens, stopped the practice in January, during a Justice Department investigation.
The Immigration and Nationality Act requires employers to treat authorized workers in the same manner as U.S. citizens, according to Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general in charge of the Civil Rights Division.
