Biden administration to crack down on migrant child labor

 The Biden administration on Monday announced a plan to crack down on migrant child labor around the nation after an investigation found that more than 3,800 undocumented children were working in U.S. companies last year. 

"We see every day the scourge of child labor in this country, and we have a legal and a moral obligation to take every step in our power to prevent it," Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in a statement.

Several unaccompanied migrant children that cross the border illegally into the United States end up being exploited in illegal jobs that do not follow child labor laws, according to a recent investigation conducted by The New York Times. 

According to the Labor Department, the number of migrant children employed by companies has increased by 69% since 2018. 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called these revelations “heartbreaking” and “completely unacceptable.”

The White House said the new plan would improve the support that migrant children receive after they are processed and released into the United States in order to prevent migrant children from falling prey to forced labor.

Additionally, the Department of Labor said it would investigate child labor violations among several companies, including some that are known to illegally employ children. 

The Labor Department found more than 835 companies that were employing undocumented children who were using false identification and obtaining jobs through staffing agencies that do not verify their Social Security numbers.

The department is investigating around 600 other companies. 

“Too frequently, employers who contract for services are not vigilant about who is working in their facilities,” the Labor Department said in a statement.

The New York Times investigation found that several American supply chains of major brands and retailers hire undocumented migrant children, including General Motors, Ford, Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, and Ben & Jerry’s among others. 

Many of the unaccompanied migrant children are sent to the United States by their parents, who pay human smugglers to get their kids across the border in order to escape violence and poverty in their home countries.