White House promises crackdown on migrant child labor

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By AMANDA SEITZ an hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Monday that it is creating a new task force to crack down on an explosion of the illegal exploitation of migrant children for labor in the U.S.

Hundreds of companies that employed nearly 4,000 children last year were found in violation of federal labor laws, a dramatic increase in the last five years.

The growing problem has put Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the hot seat, with concerns mounting that migrant children have been discharged from shelters and out of federal custody too quickly, pushing them into vulnerable situations where they’re more likely to become victims of child labor.

In a new video that’s been circulating, first reported by The New York Times, the secretary urged his staff to discharge children from the federal government’s broken system of shelters faster.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/politics-child-endangerment-abuse-us-department-of-health-and-human-services-children-91ad24f4cfafd03434ad83f72732b64e

[The Jungle 1]

1. It is stunning how big this story is.

We are there again. Child labor is rampant.
So a dollar really is the most important thing in America.

[AZLD4Candidate]

2. Exploitation is the mark of pure capitalism.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. Well, that and creating an environment where kids have to do something

Or they and their families starve and/or freeze. I understand the issue of child labor but when it is that or die... what do you think they are going to do?

[MichMan]

6. Why do we excuse their parents and guardians from facilitating breaking the law ?

If that's the case, using children as sex slaves is understandable too....

[justgamma]

3. What happens

when the states make child labor legal like Iowa is trying to do?

[MichMan]

4. How is it that their parents and guardians are facilitating them working?

Children don't apply for jobs and go to work everyday in a factory without whomever is responsible for them knowing about it. Seems clearly a case of child endangerment if they are complicit.