Source:  Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 6/28/11

The U.S. Dept. of Justice is suing Smithfield Foods, Inc., subsidiary Farmland Foods for alleged discrimination in hiring against non-U.S. citizens at a plant in Monmouth, Ill.

The lawsuit accuses Farmland of requiring all newly hired non-U.S. citizens and some foreign-born U.S. citizens to present specific documents and additional papers authorizing them to work at the plant beyond those required by federal law.

Farmland allegedly imposed greater and different standards for non-U.S. citizens than applicants who were native-born U.S. citizens, the suit says.

The Immigration and Naturalization Ace calls for employers to treat all authorized workers in the same manner during the hiring process, regardless of their citizenship status.

Smithfield Foods and Farmland Foods spokesmen were unavailable to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed before the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer within the Executive Office for Immigration Review in Washington, D.C.
 

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