Discrimination Settlement Reached Between Orange County Employer, Department Of Justice

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — A Huntington Beach body care business has settled with the U.S. Department of Justice after the agency found the company discriminated against non-U.S. citizens when checking work permissions, according to authorities.

Home and Body Co., which manufactures soap and lotion, in 2019 and 2020 routinely required lawful permanent residents to show a specific immigration document when checking work permission, based on citizenship status and in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the department said. Federal law allows workers to choose which valid and legally acceptable document to present to prove their identity and permission to work, and bans employers from asking for unnecessary documents, according to authorities.

Under the settlement, the company will pay $130,000 in civil penalties to the U.S., train personnel on legal requirements, review employment policies and be subject to department monitoring, authorities said.