Food delivery favorite forced to fork over millions after DOJ alleged discrimination against American workers

Instacart's parent company, Maplebear Inc., has agreed to pay $5 million to resolve a Justice Department case alleging it discriminated against American workers. The Civil Rights Division, working with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, contends the company favored foreign applicants in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to Fox News.

According to the department, the problem arose in hiring for positions tied to the Permanent Labor Certification, or PERM, process, which lets employers sponsor temporary visa holders for permanent residence. Employers using it must first make a good-faith attempt to recruit Americans. Federal officials say Instacart instead made U.S. candidates mail in paper applications, even though its ordinary practice was to accept them online. That requirement lasted from December 2023 through February 2026.

Under the deal, the company must put $4 million into a pool for possibly affected applicants and pay $1 million in civil penalties. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said it was the 15th such settlement during her tenure and promised continued pressure on firms that prefer temporary visa holders.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →