The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, alleging that the hospital discriminated in the employment eligibility verification process against people who are authorized to work in the United States. The government alleged that the hospital engaged in a pattern or practice of subjecting newly hired non-U.S. citizens to excessive demands for documents in order to verify their employment eligibility. In January 2012, the hospital reached a settlement, agreeing to pay a civil penalty of $115,000.