PORTLAND — The owner of several Wendy’s restaurants in Maine has agreed to pay more than $17,000 to settle claims that managers at one of its restaurants refused to hire people who weren’t U.S. citizens.

The U.S. Justice Department found that since 2009 a Wendy’s owned by Restwend LLC instituted a policy of hiring only U.S. citizens and rejecting those who were believed to be non-U.S. citizens. The Immigration and Nationality Act generally prohibits discrimination in hiring against authorized workers on the basis of citizenship status.

Under the terms of the settlement, Restwend has agreed to pay $14,500 in back pay, plus interest, to a victim of its policy, as well as $3,200 in civil penalties. A Restwend official in Augusta wasn’t immediately available.


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