A Lawsuit Years in the Making
The case dates back to May 2022, when Rajaram, a technical consultant, first sued Meta for allegedly violating federal civil rights laws by discriminating against him based on his citizenship status. He claimed he had twice applied for positions at the company in 2020, receiving positive interview feedback, only to be passed over in favor of an H-1B visa holder.
Initially, Meta succeeded in having the case dismissed when Judge Beeler ruled in November 2022 that U.S. citizens are not a protected class under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. However, in June 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, finding that the Reconstruction-era law bars employers from discriminating against U.S. citizens in hiring.
While race discrimination and citizenship bias are distinct, the Ninth Circuit noted that Section 1981 guarantees “all persons” the same right to make and enforce contracts as white citizens. That ruling resurrected Rajaram’s case and allowed Bhatia and Wang to join as additional plaintiffs.
The trio argues that Meta’s hiring process follows a “pattern and practice” of favoring H-1B visa holders, effectively shutting out qualified American applicants.
