Peña v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (2019)
Background: Filed in July 2019, Peña v. Wells Fargo revealed the bank’s policy quietly required a U.S. visa for its direct auto loans. Because DACA recipients have lawful work authorization and Social Security numbers but not visas, this policy shut them out. According to the complaint, Wells Fargo ran hard credit checks before disclosing the visa requirement, then denied DACA applicants in letters that claimed their “U.S. residency status can’t be verified.”
Impact: In 2020, Wells Fargo agreed — across this case and a companion suit — to pay up to $19.6 million and change its lending policies so DACA recipients can access consumer credit, including auto loans.
Media coverage:Law360
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