Chinese-owned meat processing giant Smithfield has been fined $2 million to resolve a child labor compliance dispute with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
Local paper Minnesota Reformer reports a Minnesota DLI investigation from 2021 and 2023 found at least 11 children between the ages of 14 and 17 worked at Smithfield's St.
James area plant."It is unacceptable for a company to employ minor children to perform hazardous work late at night. This illegal behavior impacts children's health, safety and well-being and their ability to focus on their education and their future," DLI Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach wrote in a statement, adding, "Combatting unlawful child labor in Minnesota is a priority for DLI and it will continue to devote resources to addressing and resolving these violations."
Smithfield released a statement denying "that we knowingly hired anyone under the age of 18 to work in our St. James facility. We have not admitted liability as part of this settlement; however, in the interest of preventing the distraction of prolonged litigation, we have agreed to settle this matter."
The meatpacker noted that it utilizes E-Verify, a Department of Homeland Security database, to determine the eligibility of workers who are US or foreign citizens.
"Each of the 11 alleged underage individuals passed the E-Verify system by using false identification. Each used a different name to obtain employment with Smithfield than the name by which DLI identified them to Smithfield," the company said.
The Chinese-owned company noted it is opposed to child labor and has "taken proactive steps to enforce our policy prohibiting the employment of minors.
"There was no word on the citizenship status of the minors. However, we suspect some of those underage individuals were probably migrants. After all, many of the migrants - and illegal aliens - the Biden-Harris team allowed to flood the nation ended up somewhere in America's food supply chain - this is no secret.
This brings us to an entirely different issue: the exploitation of migrant children by mega-corporations...
"This shadow work force extends across industries in every state, flouting child labor laws that have been in place for nearly a century. Twelve-year-old roofers in Florida and Tennessee. Underage slaughterhouse workers in Delaware, Mississippi and North Carolina. Children sawing planks of wood on overnight shifts in South Dakota," a recent New York Times article stated.
Earlier this week, we informed readers that at least one non-profit was funneling migrants into mega corps.
Dear Border Czar: This Nonprofit Boasts A List Of 400 Companies That Employ Migrants https://t.co/LuwWdgOzgD
— zerohedge (@zerohedge)
The reports of trafficking networks and labor mules across the country because of Biden-Harris' open southern borders are disturbing.
"No Americans": Insider Of Alleged Trafficking Network Reveals How Migrants Ended Up At Charleroi, PA Factory https://t.co/FUSMbqyB7E
— zerohedge (@zerohedge)
Incoming "border czar," Tom Homan, noted earlier this week: "Where do we find most victims of sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking? At worksites."
NEW: Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan says the administration will conduct workplace immigration raids; 'The Biden-Harris Adm. has lost over 300,000 children'
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls)
"Worksite operations have to happen. Here’s why...
Where do we find most victims of s-x trafficking and forced labor… pic.twitter.com/2D6YGdE1F7
Lining America's food supply chain with migrants - some of which are illegal... This should be one of the biggest national security stories of the decade.