ICYMI: EEOC Partners in DOL Project Firewall

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Department of Labor highlighted its partnership with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Project Firewall to combat illegal national origin discrimination, particularly against American workers.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said:

“The EEOC stands ready to be a committed partner across the federal government. With the scale of unlawful anti-American discrimination we’re seeing, robust investigation and enforcement – within the EEOC and with our federal partners – is essential to protecting America’s workforce.”

As part of this initiative, the EEOC recently released new educational materials, including a national origin discrimination fact sheet, to help employers and workers understand their rights and responsibilities under Title VII.

From the EEOC’s original release:
Chair Lucas said: “The EEOC is here to protect all workers from unlawful national origin discrimination — including American workers. Unlawful bias against American workers, in violation of Title VII, is a large-scale problem in multiple industries nationwide. Many employers have policies and practices preferring illegal aliens, migrant workers, or non-immigrant guest workers (guest worker visa holders) over American workers — in direct violation of federal employment law. The EEOC is committed to ensuring employers and workers better understand the even-handed protections provided to all workers by Title VII’s prohibition against national origin discrimination.”

And

“Nothing justifies illegal national origin discrimination — whether rooted in cost of labor, customer preferences, or stereotypes.”

For more information on the EEOC’s national origin announcement: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-releases-new-and-updated-educational-materials-national-origin-discrimination

Full text of the DOL Project Firewall release on Nov. 24:

Project Firewall partnership leads to enhanced federal enforcement against discriminatory hiring practices

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling applauded the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission today for taking action to help prevent discrimination against American workers. The EEOC released new and updated educational materials to reaffirm and emphasize legal protections against national origin discrimination, which can include preferring foreign workers by advertising job openings as only available to H-1B visa holders.

The EEOC’s efforts were a result of the department’s recently announced H-1B enforcement initiative Project Firewall, which aims to safeguard the rights, wages, and job opportunities of highly skilled American workers. The ongoing project ensures employers prioritize qualified Americans when hiring and includes enforcement actions to hold employers accountable if they abuse the H-1B visa program.

“I applaud the EEOC for standing with the Department of Labor’s mandate under Project Firewall to ensure American workers have a fair chance to compete and succeed,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue working with our federal partners to put an end to bad practices and safeguard opportunities for American workers.”

“The EEOC’s announcement underscores the importance of federal agencies working in concert to uphold the rights of workers. By sharing data, clarifying employer obligations, and aligning enforcement tools, we are better positioned to prevent discriminatory hiring practices and protect labor market integrity,” said Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling.

“The EEOC stands ready to be a committed partner across the federal government,” said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. “With the scale of unlawful anti-American discrimination we’re seeing, robust investigation and enforcement – within the EEOC and with our federal partners – is essential to protecting America’s workforce.”

Through Project Firewall, the department is sharing information and coordinating with relevant government agencies, as permitted by law, to proactively combat unlawful discrimination against American workers and properly enforce the law by leveraging the full strength of the federal government.

In addition to its partnership with the EEOC, the department is also collaborating with federal partners including the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as part of this whole-of-government effort.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.