The Biden Administration Faces Criticism over Surge in Illegal Child Labor
Immigration policies introduced by the Biden administration have been blamed for a significant increase in instances of illegal child labor across the United States. Investigators have recently uncovered distressing cases of young children being exploited at slaughterhouses in Nebraska and Hyundai suppliers in Alabama. Critics argue that President Biden’s lack of enforcement of immigration laws has allowed child labor to flourish. Urgent congressional action is now being called for to address this alarming trend.
A key suggestion put forward by experts is to require the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct a significantly higher number of worksite investigations each month. These investigations have proven to be effective in exposing child labor, exploitation, identity theft, and tax evasion, among other crimes. By increasing the frequency of these investigations, Congress hopes to deter employers from engaging in such unlawful practices.
However, concerns have been raised regarding Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ decision to curtail worksite investigations during the first year of the Biden administration. In a memo, Mayorkas instructed ICE to cease mass worksite operations and halt investigations into employers that may lead to numerous arrests of illegal aliens. This decision has been heavily criticized, and Congress is now being urged to fund increased worksite investigations to counter unlawful practices.
Another proposed measure involves requiring the Department of Labor (DOL) to collaborate closely with ICE to prevent illegal immigrants identified during a DOL investigation from moving to a different employer. Currently, an extended DOL investigation can delay ICE’s intervention, giving employers enough time to eliminate evidence of their crimes and ensuring that the unlawful labor is no longer present when ICE arrives.
A crucial issue that needs to be addressed is a provision in previous Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bills that obstructs ICE from arresting most sponsors of illegal-alien children who arrive at the US borders. It is these children who are being exploited at worksites across the country. In 2019, language proposed by then-Senator Kamala Harris prevented ICE from effectively vetting and arresting sponsors, potential sponsors, and individuals living with them. Consequently, reports of abuse and trafficking to the Department of Health and Human Services substantially increased soon after the language became law, more than doubling within just three months.
Many view the Biden administration’s immigration policies as fundamentally flawed, allowing unscrupulous employers to hire lawbreakers while turning a blind eye to the consequences. Critics argue that by prioritizing the accommodation of illegal immigration, the administration has inadvertently fueled child labor in various worksites throughout the country.
It now falls on Congress to take decisive action by demanding tangible results and effecting changes in agency practices through budgetary decisions. The ongoing surge in illegal child labor demands prompt attention and resolution, emphasizing the need for immediate action to end this alarming trend.
