Micron Memory – Idaho – Settles Immigration Lawsuit

Update — As of Sep 2025

Quick rewind: in April 2023, the U.S. Justice Department announced a settlement with Micron over an Immigration and Nationality Act hiring violation — back pay of $85,000 to the affected worker, a civil penalty, required training, policy fixes, and a two-year monitoring period. That clock started then. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

As of April 2025, that two-year window has run its course. The DOJ’s public materials haven’t flagged any extension or follow-on enforcement tied to this matter — which, in plain English, suggests Micron did what it said it would do and the government didn’t see cause (so far) to push further. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

A small footnote worth keeping: while DOJ press language didn’t specify the penalty amount, multiple industry/legal summaries pegged the civil penalty at $4,144, alongside the $85,000 back-pay figure. Think of that as the “administrative sting,” with the real teeth being training, policy changes, and monitoring. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Morris take: compliance isn’t a finish line; it’s a treadmill. Micron has been broadcasting governance and ethics updates in 2025 filings and sustainability materials — the right kind of noise if you’re trying to keep regulators, customers, and investors calm. No drama beats new drama every time. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

The Justice Department has reached a settlement with Micron Technology Inc., headquartered in Boise, Idaho, after finding the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The case centered on allegations that Micron discriminated against a U.S. citizen during hiring by favoring a temporary visa holder instead.

The investigation began after a U.S. citizen filed a complaint claiming he was unfairly denied a job. Federal investigators confirmed that Micron had chosen a temporary visa worker without fully considering the citizen’s qualifications. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), employers are prohibited from discriminating against job applicants based on citizenship, immigration status, or national origin unless specifically required by law.

As part of the settlement, Micron agreed to pay a civil penalty to the U.S. government and provide $85,000 in back pay to the affected worker. In addition, the company must retrain its staff on INA’s anti-discrimination rules, update hiring policies, and submit to federal monitoring for two years.

The Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the INA, which protects workers from discrimination in hiring, firing, recruitment, and employment eligibility verification. It also prohibits unfair documentary practices, retaliation, and intimidation. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke underscored that the Department will hold companies accountable for violations regardless of their size or industry.

This settlement is a reminder that compliance with civil rights laws must go hand in hand with corporate hiring practices, especially for companies as large and visible as Micron, a global leader in semiconductors and memory products.

Micron memory solutions include both DRAM and NAND flash memory. DRAM provides high-speed, temporary storage for active data and is critical in applications such as gaming, cloud computing, and enterprise workloads. NAND flash memory, a non-volatile technology, is widely used in SSDs, memory cards, and USB flash drives for long-term data storage. These technologies are key components in smartphones, servers, and data centers worldwide.

Known for reliability and energy efficiency, Micron’s products continue to power a range of industries—from automotive systems to consumer electronics and industrial automation—making the company a cornerstone in today’s digital infrastructure. While the lawsuit highlights compliance issues, it does not change Micron’s global reputation as a major innovator in memory and storage solutions.