(WKBN) – The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with a Georgia-based IT company for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act in one of its job postings.

According to the DOJ, the investigation found that American CyberSystems discriminated against U.S. nationals, refugees and asylees by posting an advertisement recruiting only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

The position involved access to sensitive material that requires employers to seek special authorization from the U.S. government for certain workers if their job requires accessing export-controlled items. Under these regulations, however, U.S. nationals, asylees and refugees are on the same footing as U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, the DOJ said.

The department said that the company had no justification to exclude them from hiring.

The department also found that the company posted a second, unrelated job advertisement that discriminated against immigrant and U.S. citizen workers by specifically seeking workers with temporary work visas.  

Under the settlement agreement, CyberSystems has to train its recruiting and human resources staff and review compliance laws. They will also be monitored and pay a civil penalty.

“Employers cannot unlawfully discriminate against individuals based on their citizenship status when they advertise job opportunities, plain and simple,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement makes clear our commitment to holding employers accountable when they run afoul of the law and discriminate on the basis of citizenship.”