The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new efforts to “combat exploitative child labor,” which is largely the result of “an influx in migrant children from Latin America fleeing violence and poverty, a majority of whom do not have a parent in the United States.”
The DOL’s focus on undocumented immigrants (whether child or adult), human trafficking, and related issues has been manifest for several weeks in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) daily Workplace Safety Reminder, which has mentioned one or more of these issues almost every day. Likewise, OSHA has been regularly posting tweets concerning these issues since the announcements were made.
The joint effort between the DOL and HHS follows the DOL’s announcement on February 13, 2023, that OSHA compliance officers would be authorized to certify U nonimmigrant status and T nonimmigrant status visas.
Immigration and employment issues have significantly intersected for decades. This, however, is the first time the federal government has directed so much attention and effort to the issue of undocumented child immigrants in the workforce. Perhaps like no other time in U.S. history, the issue of undocumented immigrants in the workplace is being addressed in something other than a law enforcement/compliance manner. The joint effort between the DOL and HHS will result in employers being targeted for enforcement activities from a variety...
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