The US Department of Justice has settled with a Virginia-based IT services company for allegedly using artificial intelligence to create job ads that excluded American workers. Elegant Enterprise-Wide Solutions, described as a Virginia IT professional service provider, was involved in the case. The settlement addresses claims that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by posting job ads with citizenship status restrictions not permitted by law.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division emphasized the importance of not discriminating against US workers during recruitment and hiring processes. The settlement agreement, dated February 23, 2026, requires the company to pay a civil penalty of $9,460 in two installments. This settlement marks the eighth agreement under the Protecting US Workers Initiative, which enforces the INA’s anti-discrimination rules against companies that show preference for visa holders over American workers.
The Justice Department’s recent efforts have focused on enforcing anti-discrimination provisions in US immigration law. The Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits employers from favoring temporary visa holders over US citizens and certain authorized workers without lawful justification. The Department is committed to upholding these regulations to ensure fair treatment in the job market.
