Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Municipal Credit Union Denied Auto Loan to DACA Recipient Based on Immigration Status

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient claims in a proposed class action lawsuit that Municipal Credit Union (MCU) unlawfully denied him access to loan products solely because of his immigration status.

Get the latest open class action lawsuits sent to your inbox. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

According to the 15-page lawsuit, the New York-based credit union has discriminated against loan applicants who are not United States citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) by denying them loans and/or offering different terms based only on their alienage. The defendant’s “arbitrary” citizenship and immigration requirements violate the federal Civil Rights Act and New York’s Human Rights Law, the class action suit alleges.

The MCU lawsuit was filed by a New York City resident who has been a DACA recipient since 2014. Although the consumer was initially approved for an auto loan by the credit union in July 2023, the approval was later revoked, purportedly because, as a DACA holder, his driver’s license said “limited term,” the case claims.

The plaintiff was told that pursuant to MCU guidelines, DACA recipients can only apply for a two-year loan, which can be extended to five years if the applicant becomes a permanent resident, the complaint relays.

The filing asserts that MCU intentionally discriminated against the consumer by denying his application and offering him an inferior loan based on his immigration status, particularly given that the credit union has “continued to issue auto loans to U.S. citizens and LPRs who [are] as credit-worthy as [the plaintiff].”

The suit further alleges that MCU has violated the New York law by using and making records, such as its written lending policies and email communications with the plaintiff, that express a limitation, specification or discrimination regarding alienage.

The class action lawsuit looks to represent all individuals who resided in the United States when they applied or attempted to apply for an MCU loan product but were denied fair and equal consideration by the credit union on the basis of alienage, citizenship and/or immigration status.

Learn all about the legal process: What is a class action lawsuit?