A Houston-based bus company settled a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit alleging it discriminated against U.S. workers by preferring to hire workers on temporary H-2B visas for its bus driver positions.

Autobuses Ejecutivos LLC, dba Omnibus Express, will establish a $208,000 fund to compensate victims, pay $37,800 in civil penalties and be subject to monitoring of its hiring and recruiting practices for two years.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in August 2013 by the department under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s antidiscrimination provision.

The company wished to resolve the OSC investigation and the litigation without further delay or expense, according to the settlement. The settlement states Omnibus Express disputed the findings of the investigation and has denied, and continues to deny, all such allegations of violations of the INA, including, but not limited, to the allegations in the litigation.

“Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of citizenship status in hiring and recruiting,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to investigating and prosecuting discriminatory hiring preferences that impede the ability of U.S. citizens and other work-authorized individuals to compete equally for employment.”