Child immigration and labor must be addressed

Fiscal Year 2022 saw 152,000 unaccompanied minors encountered at or near the U.S. border; this is an all time high for America. The New York Times has also found a large amount of these unaccompanied minors are being exploited for child labor. Even companies like PepsiCo, owner of Quaker Oats, were found to be using migrant children for cheap labor, when they should be in school.

Thankfully, after the news of this became public, the government decided to do something about child labor. Unfortunately, national progress is lagging because of disagreement between parties. The Iowa Legislature is passing laws that apply to child labor, but probably not in a good way. Its legislation would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work longer hours at more dangerous jobs, and would allow kids 16-plus to work the same amount as adults.

Overall, we just have a really big problem with child labor in the U.S., and it feels like we just aren't talking about it enough. I can’t do much, as a high school student, but adults can. America gives you the freedom to be able to speak out and say when something is wrong, and we need to use that to make this change.

Cora Sutton

Solon