Harmeet Dhillon Announces DOJ Settlement With IT Firm Over Discriminatory Hiring

WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced a settlement with Elegant Enterprise-Wide Solutions following allegations that the Virginia-based IT firm used artificial intelligence to generate job ads that illegally excluded American workers.

The AI-drafted postings restricted applicants to specific visa holders, such as H-1B, OPT, or H-4, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Dhillon stated that it is unconscionable for companies to illegally exclude US workers when recruiting and hiring. She added that the Department of Justice will not tolerate discrimination against domestic workers regardless of whether a human recruiter or an AI tool drafts the advertisement.

According to the agreement signed February 23, 2026, the company will pay a $9,460 civil penalty. This marks the eighth settlement since the 2025 relaunch of the Protecting US Workers Initiative, which enforces prohibitions on favoring employment-visa holders over domestic talent.

Beyond the fine, the settlement mandates that the company cease all citizenship-based restrictions in hiring and firing unless authorized by law. The firm must also provide comprehensive training for recruiters on anti-discrimination laws and is prohibited from intimidating or coercing anyone involved in the investigation.

The Justice Department said it continues to seek maximum penalties and back pay in such cases to ensure fair access to job opportunities for all authorized workers. (with IANS inputs)