Meta ex-manager sues over alleged green-card fraud for Chinese employee
Former Meta manager James Tillinghast filed a New Jersey lawsuit claiming he was fired for refusing to sign a false green-card petition for Chinese staffer Shenxun Wang.
In a New Jersey complaint, former Meta Platforms manager James Tillinghast accuses the company of wrongful termination after he refused to validate a letter containing false claims meant to support an I-140 EB-2 National Interest Waiver green card for Chinese employee Shenxun Wang. The filing, prepared by lawyer Constantine Bardis, notes that the draft exaggerated Wang's contribution of about $638 million in advertising revenue, his involvement in AI algorithms, and his leadership responsibilities—assertions Tillinghast said he could not truthfully endorse.
He is pursuing over $1 million in compensation, including $565,000 for lost pay, $490,000 for lost equity, plus punitive damages and a jury trial. The lawsuit surfaces amid wider criticism of ethnic hiring and visa fraud in the tech sector, with the Department of Justice recently penalizing OpenAI for similar green-card misuse. Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito has indicated forthcoming oversight of such practices. The dispute highlights legal risks for major technology firms over immigration-linked hiring practices.
Why it matters
The case could expose tech firms to liability for immigration fraud and reshape hiring practices for foreign workers.
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