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The US government said that it would abandon a long -standing case against Elon Musk SpaceX, in which it had allegedly alleged that the hiring procedures for the company illegally discriminate against asylum seekers and refugees.
The decision of the Ministry of Justice comes while Musk, who has repeatedly criticized the case, plays an increasingly important role in the administration of Donald Trump, supervising aggressive measures to reduce costs within the government , including in agencies that regulate its six companies.
The DoJ continued SpaceX for the first time in 2023 during the presidency of Joe Biden, saying that the company posted jobs that demanded that candidates be American citizens or permanent residents, although there is no From legal bar to non-citizens playing the roles in question.
Prosecutors allegedly alleged that SpaceX “actively discouraged asyères and refugees from looking for work opportunities in the company”.
Musk denied allegations, writing in an article on social networks at the time: “SpaceX was informed several times that hiring anyone was not a permanent resident of the United States would violate international law on arms trafficking, which would be a criminal offense. ”
He added: “We couldn’t even hire Canadian citizens, despite the fact that Canada is part of Norad! This is another case of the DoJ’s armaments for political purposes. »»
In a request without opposition filed before a Federal Tribunal of Texas Thursday evening, the DoJ asked for a suspension on the case “in order to authorize the Division of Civil Rights of the Ministry of Justice to file a notice of rejection of the administrative procedure ”.
He did not justify the dismissal provided, but a judge previously indicated that the Doj may not have the power to continue complaints against SpaceX.
Musk, Doj and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comments.
Musk has become the de facto chief of the so-called ministry of government efficiency (DOGE), who cancels contracts and suspends staff in several agencies, including those who have investigated SpaceX, Tesla and others. The White House said that Musk would “apologize” for any potential conflict of interest.
This week, Sean Duffy, transport secretary, confirmed that Doge’s emissaries were in place at the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency that had proposed a fine of SpaceX. Duffy told a hearing in the Senate last month that if it was confirmed, he would examine the FAA $ 633,000 fine for violation of SpaceX launch license requirements during two missions of 2023.
This week, an environmental group in Texas abandoned a distinct case against SpaceX against alleged water pollution on its launch site near Brownsville.
