On November 15, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Key Fortune, Inc., doing business as Express Employment Professionals (Express), a staffing company in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The agreement resolves DOJ’s determination that Express “discriminated against a worker because of her immigration status by refusing to continue to honor her valid document that showed her permission to work in the United States.” DOJ said the agreement also resolves the agency’s determination “that Express refused to place her on an assignment until she presented a specific document showing her future permission to work.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Express will pay a civil penalty of $2,200 to the United States and pay the worker backpay of $1,748.45 plus interest, less any tax withholding required by law. The agreement also requires the company to train its personnel on the anti-discrimination requirements, review its employment policies, and be subject to departmental monitoring.