East PDX Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, joined committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) and Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-05) to demand information from Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su about recent reports that migrant children – many of whom were under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – are being trafficked and working illegally in the United States.

“The New York Times published an article describing… concerns that many children are being trafficked and forced to work illegally following their release from federal custody… The article highlights the government’s failure to protect these children by demonstrating a breakdown between HHS, the agency responsible for sheltering these children while they are in federal custody… and DOL, the agency responsible for ensuring these children are not exploited in employment after they have left federal custody,” the lawmakers wrote. 

The lawmakers continued, “This matter is especially troubling because a breakdown in government responsibility has led to the trafficking of migrant children in violation of our nation’s human trafficking and child labor laws. Therefore, it is important for the Committee to understand what information DOL provided to HHS and DHS as well as whether these agencies are working together to keep migrant children out of harm’s way.” 

Chavez-DeRemer, Foxx, and Walberg are requesting all documents and communications between the Department of Labor (DOL), HHS, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the vetting of sponsors of migrant children leaving federal custody; the number of migrant children who have been identified by DOL as victims of child labor trafficking who were at any point under the care of HHS’ Unaccompanied Children (UC) Program; a list of investigations and details regarding the investigations conducted by DOL that involve victims of child labor trafficking who were previously under the care of the UC Program; and more.

Full text of the letter is available HERE.

Original source can be found here.