US News has learned that a recent US appeals court revived a proposed class action lawsuit against Meta Platforms on Thursday, June 27. The tech giant allegedly refused to hire a software engineer in favor of foreign workers who are paid lower wages. 

The lawsuit, filed by Purushothaman Rajaram, claims that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, discriminates against American workers by favoring visa recipients for job positions.

Rajaram is a naturalized US citizen and has asserted that Meta's hiring practices unfairly prioritize foreign workers over equally qualified American candidates, undermining job opportunities for US citizens. 

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco decided in a 2-1 vote that an old law from the Civil War era, which bans discrimination in contracts based on nationality, also protects US citizens from being unfairly treated. 

This decision reverses an earlier ruling by a California judge who had dismissed Rajaram's case, meaning his lawsuit against Meta can now proceed.

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Why Meta Prefers Hiring Foreign Workers

Meta's preference for hiring foreign workers often revolves around economic considerations, particularly the wage differences between foreign visa holders and US citizens. Foreign workers, especially those on certain types of visas like H-1B, often accept lower salaries than their American counterparts.

In their Jobs section, Facebook's parent company defended that they are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and value the diverse skill sets and perspectives that international hires bring. 

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