Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) isn’t letting up on Tyson Foods—one of America’s largest food processing companies—accusing them of hiring illegal aliens and children, all while shutting down U.S. plants and firing thousands of American workers.
In a fiery exchange during a Senate hearing this week, Hawley pressed Andrew Rogers, President Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, on whether he’d commit to continuing the current investigation into Tyson’s alleged labor law violations. Rogers kept it close to the vest, saying he couldn’t comment on ongoing probes, but confirmed he would investigate any and all allegations of child labor and illegal employment.
This hearing follows a bombshell letter Hawley sent last month to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, demanding a full-blown investigation into a whistleblower’s claims.
According to the whistleblower—a former Tyson safety supervisor—the company knowingly allowed underage workers to work in its facilities, some allegedly contracted through third-party firms. These claims include multiple firsthand sightings and reports from plant employees. Even more troubling, when the whistleblower raised the alarm, they were reportedly met with retaliation, forced into a hostile work environment, and ultimately resigned. Tyson then hit them with legal threats after their departure.
“I have opened an investigation in my Subcommittee,” Hawley wrote. “Given your role in enforcing federal labor law, I urge you to fully investigate these troubling allegations immediately.”
This is far from a one-off incident. A response letter from the Department of Labor confirmed that its Wage and Hour Division is actively investigating Tyson Foods and its contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
While these labor violations are being investigated, Tyson’s actions toward American workers tell another disturbing story. In 2023 alone, Tyson closed eight meatpacking plants across Arkansas, Missouri, and Indiana, laying off more than 4,200 American employees.
The closures raise serious questions: Is Tyson replacing U.S. workers with cheaper, illegal labor? That’s the allegation, and it’s one gaining traction.
Breitbart News and other conservative outlets have been reporting for months on the Biden administration’s hands-off approach to illegal labor, enabling companies like Tyson to skirt labor laws while legal American workers are left out in the cold.
Under President Trump, businesses were held accountable for abusing the system and cutting corners. But under Biden, the corporate exploitation of illegal immigration has gone unchecked. Tyson’s behavior appears to be a perfect case study in this failure: Lay off American workers, replace them with illegals, and call it “cost-saving.”
Conservative watchdogs have long warned that this type of outsourcing and “insourcing” behavior—firing Americans and hiring low-wage illegal workers—is a deliberate strategy to drive up profits at the expense of law-abiding U.S. citizens.
Sen. Hawley’s investigation could lead to major consequences for Tyson if the allegations are proven true. But more importantly, it raises a larger question: Who is protecting American workers? If corporations like Tyson can hire underage illegals, silence whistleblowers, and shed jobs across the heartland, where is the accountability?
“Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a related report last week. “This violence against ICE must end.”
It’s time for the federal government to stand up—not just against illegal immigration—but also against powerful corporations that exploit it to cut corners and put Americans last.
Sen. Hawley is once again proving he’s not afraid to take on corporate giants and hold them accountable—especially when American jobs and children’s safety are at stake. As more details emerge, many Americans are watching closely to see if anyone in Washington will join him—or if the Biden administration will keep turning a blind eye.
Tyson’s silence speaks volumes. The question now is—will justice be served?
