DOJ probes job‑ad language

The Justice Department said on April 7 that Compunnel will pay $313,420 to settle allegations that some recruiters used job ads that shut out United States citizens and lawful permanent residents. (justice.gov) The department said some ads for United States jobs used citizenship restrictions “not authorized by law” and favored H-1B or other temporary-visa holders instead. One United States citizen was allegedly excluded from a Python developer role because of his citizenship status. (justice.gov) Under the settlement, Compunnel agreed to pay $58,000 in back pay to that worker and $255,420 in civil penalties to the Treasury. The company also agreed to training, recruiter monitoring, and compliance changes. (justice.gov) This case sits inside a part of immigration law that bars certain hiring and recruiting discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin. The Justice Department’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section enforces that section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, including in recruiting or referral for a fee. (justice.gov, justice.gov) The rule does not mean every citizenship requirement is illegal. The department says employers may limit jobs by citizenship only when a law, regulation, executive order, or government contract specifically requires it. (justice.gov) The Justice Department has been building a larger docket around this issue since it re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025. In Compunnel’s case, the department called this its ninth settlement under that initiative. (justice.gov, justice.gov) Several recent cases have centered on staffing and recruiting firms. The department’s settlements page lists January 2026 agreements with Natsoft, Intellicept, and Nitya Software Solutions over job ads or recruiting language that allegedly restricted openings to H-1B workers or another citizenship status without legal justification. (justice.gov) The department now tells workers they can report ads that say things like “H-1B preferred” through a dedicated portal. That guidance, updated on August 29, 2025, also says employers generally cannot treat people differently in hiring, firing, recruitment, or referral for a fee based on citizenship status or national origin. (justice.gov) Compunnel’s settlement does not require the company to admit liability, but it does lock in penalties, back pay, and compliance steps. The message from the case is narrower than the politics around immigration: the wording in a job ad can itself trigger a federal civil-rights case. (justice.gov, justice.gov)