The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) is suing ExxonMobil for employment discrimination.
The group alleges the Texas-based oil giant denied Aldo De Leon a job because of his immigration status. De Leon is a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), authorizing him to work in the U.S.
An ExxonMobil spokesperson said the allegations made against the company were without merit, and they'll defend themselves.
Belinda Escobosa, National Senior Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said ExxonMobil requires job applicants to have permanent work authorization, which violates federal law.
"ExxonMobil chooses to continue to stand behind this very discriminatory and unlawful policy and we hope that they will recognize that these DACA recipients can be a tremendous asset to them and that they should remove these barriers to economic participation," said Escobosa.
The lawsuit is seeking damages and calls on ExxonMobil to change its hiring policies.
In their statement, the ExxonMobil spokesperson said the company prohibits all forms of discrimination.
"This includes equal employment opportunity in conformance with all applicable laws and regulations to qualified individuals," the statement said.
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