Source: MEATINGPLACE, 7/15/11

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Mar-Jac Poultry Inc. of Gainesville, Ga., for allegedly placing a heavier   documentation burden on new hires who were non-citizens.

The lawsuit accuses Mar-Jac of requiring newly hired employees who were not U.S. citizens to present documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security to secure their jobs. But the company did not require U.S. citizens to show any specific documentation, according to the suit.

Mar-Jac officials were not immediately available to comment on the lawsuit.

The suit, charging Mar-Jac with discriminatory practices, was filed with the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer within the DOJ’S Executive Office for Immigration Review.

The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits employers from placing an additional burden on work-authorized employees during the hiring and employment eligibility verification process based on their citizenship status or national origin.

The DOJ, in a statement emailed to Meatingplace, said its investigation showed the employees subjected to the practice had been authorized for work by E-Verify, Homeland Security’s Internet-based employment eligibility verification system.

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