Justice Department Wins Breach of Contract Lawsuit Against Nebraska-Based Meat Packing Company

The Justice Department announced today that on Dec. 9, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska ruled in the department’s favor in its breach of contract claim against Nebraska Beef Ltd., a meat packing company based in Omaha.  

In October 2015, the department filed a lawsuit against Nebraska Beef claiming that the company had refused to comply with several terms of the parties’ settlement agreement.  In August 2015, the parties had entered into an agreement to resolve the department’s investigation into whether Nebraska Beef was discriminating against work-authorized immigrants.  When Nebraska Beef refused to pay the agreed-upon $200,000 civil penalty and initiate the required backpay claims process, the United States filed suit to enforce the agreement.  On Friday, the court ordered the company to pay the $200,000 it owed and comply with all of the terms of the agreement.

“The department looks forward to working with Nebraska Beef to ensure that it complies with all of the provisions of the settlement agreement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division.  “The court’s ruling, and the underlying agreement, further our efforts to protect the federal employment rights of individuals with legal authorization to work in the United States.”
   
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.  The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship, immigration status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices in employment eligibility verification; retaliation and intimidation. 

To learn more about the protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php; email osccrt@usdoj.gov or visit OSC’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.

Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to: different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral, should contact the OSC worker hotline for assistance.