Republican Wants Tyson Foods Prosecuted for Child Labor

Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, expressed his desire for Tyson Foods to be prosecuted on allegations of migrant child labor in a social media post after asking President Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, if she would “go after” the meat producer during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

Newsweek reached out to Tyson Foods via email for comment on Wednesday.

Why It Matters

In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor opened an investigation into Tyson Foods and competing meat producer Perdue after The New York Times Magazine reported that underage migrants were working at both facilities. Perdue said at the time that it has “strict” policies to prevent minors from working “hazardous jobs.” Tyson maintains that their business and supply chain partners do not tolerate child labor in any operations or facilities.

Hawley sent an open letter to Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King in September 2023, saying that he was “alarmed” by the allegations of child labor and asking a series of questions about the alleged illegal practices and what the company plans to do moving forward.

What To Know

During Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions on Wednesday, Hawley said, “Tysons Food [sic] has closed down two major plants in my state, the state of Missouri, just in the last year and a half, they have canceled contracts with farmers, they have put thousands of workers in my state out of business, and yet, we know from the investigations done by The New York Times and others that they have huge numbers of illegal child labor in their supply chains, in their factories. They are putting children who are trafficked here to work.”

“Will you go after companies like Tysons [sic] and anyone else who would violate our labor laws and exploit children while they are firing American workers?” Hawley asked Chavez-DeRemer.

The Trump nominee responded: “Yes,” adding, “Child labor should not be accepted by anybody in America and the Department of Labor has the enforcement capability to double-down if they knowingly are breaking the law and exploiting children in their factories.”

Hawley later shared his exchange on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote that companies like Tyson Foods “should be PROSECUTED.”

What People Are Saying

Tyson Foods previously told KHBS/KHOG, an Arkansas news outlet, “To be clear, we do not allow the employment of anyone under the age of 18 in any of our facilities, and we do not facilitate, excuse or in any other way participate in the use of child labor.”

Perdue spokesperson Andrea Staub told CNN in September 2023 that the company has “strict, longstanding policies in place for Perdue associates to prevent minors from working hazardous jobs in violation of the law,” adding, “We hold our sanitation contractors to the same high standards.”

What Happens Next

Newsweek reached out to the Labor Department to find out if the investigation into Tyson Foods and Perdue remains ongoing. It has yet to hear back as of Wednesday evening.