The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has decided to drop its case against SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk. The case accused SpaceX of refusing to hire certain immigrants.

Last month, January 2025, the Justice Department hinted that it might not continue with the case, which was started during President Joe Biden’s administration. Meanwhile, Musk, who is now advising former President Donald Trump, is working on a government project to find wasteful spending.

On February 20, government lawyers filed a request in a Texas court to officially dismiss the case. They also stated that the case would be dismissed "with prejudice," meaning it cannot be reopened in the future.

The case was originally filed in August 2023. The Justice Department claimed that from 2018 to 2022, SpaceX discouraged refugees and asylum seekers from applying for jobs. The company mentioned in its job ads that it could only hire people who are U.S. citizens or have permanent residency because of certain legal rules about exporting goods and technology. However, the Justice Department argued that these laws did not actually prevent SpaceX from hiring other immigrants.

SpaceX has denied any wrongdoing. In a court filing from November 2023, the company said it strictly follows all laws and regulations about hiring. SpaceX also took legal action to block the case, arguing that the Justice Department’s judges were improperly appointed and had too much power.

A judge had previously put the case on hold while reviewing arguments from both sides. Both Trump and Musk have been vocal critics of federal agencies, including the DoJ, and their internal legal processes.

Looking Back: On August 24, 2023, the U.S. Justice Department filed a case against SpaceX, saying the company treated certain job applicants unfairly. The complaint claims that between September 2018 and May 2022, SpaceX did not allow asylees and refugees to apply for jobs and refused to hire them because of their citizenship status. This goes against the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Asylees and refugees are people who have moved to the U.S. to escape danger in their home countries. Before they get this status, the U.S. government checks their background carefully. According to the INA, companies cannot refuse to hire them unless there is a specific law or rule that requires it. In this case, there was no such law or rule that allowed SpaceX to exclude them, as the Justice Department's investigation found.