WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that it is making grant funding available for public education programs concerning immigration-related employment discrimination.
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), a section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced the availability of funds for public education programs regarding employees’ rights and employers’ obligations under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The program is open to public service organizations and others providing information services to employers and/or potential victims of immigration-related employment discrimination. Last year, grants ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 were awarded to 11 organizations serving communities throughout the country.
The INA prohibits discrimination against U.S. citizens and work authorized non-citizens on the basis of citizenship status or national origin in hiring, firing and recruiting or referring for a fee. In addition, the provision prohibits discriminatory over-documentation of workers in the employment eligibility verification process. It also prohibits retaliation for conduct protected under the INA.
The deadline for grant applications is 11:59 p.m. EDT, April 26, 2009. The grant announcement is available on OSC’s Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/osc or http://www.grants.gov.
###
09-275