Justice Department Settles with Hoover Inc. for Unfair I-9 Practices

The United States Department of Justice announced last week that it reached a settlement agreement with Hoover Inc., the well-known manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, over allegations that Hoover imposed illegal obstacles in the I-9 process upon its lawful permanent resident employees.

According to the Department of Justice’s report, Hoover required all permanent residents to produce a new permanent resident card when theirs expired.  However, U.S. citizen employees were not required to present updated documentation.  The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from treating permanent residents differently than U.S. citizens in the I-9 process.

Under the terms of the settlement, Hoover agreed to pay $10,200 in civil penalties, train its human resources personnel in I-9 compliance, and provide periodic reports to the DOJ for one year.

The Hoover settlement highlights the importance of ensuring strict compliance with I-9 procedures and the INA.

Read the DOJ’s press release here.