Apple agrees to record $25 million discrimination settlement for hiring immigrants over US citizens

According to the Department of Justice, the tech giant didn’t recruit US citizens or permanent residents for jobs that were eligible for the permanent labor certification or PERM program, which enabled employers to sponsor immigrant workers for green cards. The practice was a violation of a federal law that bans discrimination based on citizenship.

Additionally, Apple didn’t advertise job openings that were eligible for the program on its website as it does for other positions, and the tech company required applicants to mail paper applications even though it usually permits electronic applications.

The agency said in a statement that the settlement is the largest ever for the DOJ involving claims of discrimination based on citizenship and will require the iPhone maker to pay $6.75 million in civil penalties and $18.25 million to an unspecified number of affected workers.

Apple claimed the practice was "unintentional.”

The company said in a statement, “We have implemented a robust remediation plan to comply with the requirements of various government agencies as we continue to hire American workers and grow in the US."

Apple also agreed to align its recruiting for PERM positions with its normal hiring procedures and will be required to conduct broader recruitment and train employees on anti-discrimination laws.