Child labor is now the focus of the labor department as it implements new measures to combat exploitation in U.S. companies.
As per the Department of Labor, there was a significant surge in the number of children working violating federal law at U.S. companies last year, with more than 3,800 cases reported.
This marks a considerable increase over the past five years.
These new measures taken into action by the administration come after they found evidence that gruesome child labor continues.
New measures to crack down on child labor in the U.S.
As reported by NBC, the White House has unveiled a new set of initiatives to investigate child labor violations among employers and to provide better support for migrant children who are released to sponsors in the United States.
This includes the launch of an interagency task force between the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for child migrants, which will aid in cracking down on the rise of illegal exploitation of migrant children for labor in the U.S.
The Labor Department reported a 69 percent increase in the number of children employed violating labor laws since 2018.
Furthermore, the department found 835 companies illegally employing minors last year, and over 600 child labor investigations remain ongoing.
This problem has worsened as increasing numbers of children have arrived in the U.S. alone, fleeing violence and poverty in Latin America.
As part of the new measures, the government will enhance the tracking of minors who enter the country alone.
According to The New York Times, major U.S. companies, including Ben & Jerry's, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Fruit of the Loom, General Motors, Ford, and J.Crew, have products made with child labor in their supply chains.
The Labor Department has also threatened to halt the shipment of products made with child labor, using the "hot goods" legal provision that allows them to stop the interstate transport of goods when child labor has been found in the supply chain.
In one instance, children were found working late nights at plants operated by Hearthside Food Solutions in Grand Rapids, Mich., which makes and packages food for other companies, including Quaker Oats, Frito-Lay, and General Mills.
Child labor in the U.S. from previous years
According to the Associated Press, the growing issue has placed Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra under scrutiny as concerns have increased over migrant children being discharged too quickly from shelters and federal custody.
This pushes them into vulnerable situations, making them more likely to become victims of child labor.
The administration has faced difficulties in responding to the surge of migrants, including children traveling alone, at the U.S. border since President Biden's inauguration.
In the fiscal year ending in September 2021, authorities stopped 2.38 million migrants, a 37 percent increase from the previous year's 1.73 million.
The Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services also promise stronger follow-up for children who are moved from shelters to live with sponsors in the U.S.
The agency will aid migrant children in registering for school and will now require staff to follow up with children who contact the Office of Refugee Resettlement National Call Center to report safety concerns.
