EEOC solicits anti-American bias charges

The chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Andrea Lucas, posted a video on LinkedIn and X urging workers to file complaints if they have experienced “anti‑American” bias in the workplace. In the message she asked whether employees have been laid off and replaced by H‑1B or other guest‑worker visa holders, excluded from conversations because they speak English, forced to use foreign language platforms, or otherwise harassed for being “too American.” Lucas also queried whether applicants to foreign‑owned U.S. businesses have observed a preference for non‑American hires or promotions, and whether local factories have shifted to employing predominantly foreign workers. She framed the EEOC’s mandate as protecting “Americans of every race” from unlawful employer preferences for non‑Americans.

The outreach reflects the EEOC’s broader agenda under the current administration to address what it describes as discrimination against native‑born workers, a priority articulated in the agency’s 2025 promises to curb anti‑American bias alongside traditional race and sex discrimination. Earlier in the year the commission released a technical assistance guide titled “Discrimination Against American Workers Is Against The Law,” aligning with White House directives to prioritize American labor in antidiscrimination enforcement and immigration policy. This initiative follows a similar video released late last year that specifically called on White men to report workplace bias, indicating a systematic effort to broaden the scope of EEEE‑EEOC’s enforcement focus.

The campaign arrives amid related legal disputes, such as an insurer’s lawsuit against the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) alleging that state law bars it from indemnifying the organization after a jury found intentional race discrimination, and a claim that an EEOC officer was prohibited from speaking publicly about equity issues. These developments underscore the contentious environment surrounding the EEOC’s new emphasis on “anti‑American” discrimination, suggesting that the agency’s expanded focus may provoke further litigation and debate over the balance between protecting native workers and addressing broader civil‑rights concerns.

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