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Josh Hawley calls for federal investigation after whistleblower alleges child labor at Tyson Foods plant

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is urging President Donald Trump's Department of Labor to open an investigation into Tyson Foods on Tuesday after receiving a whistleblower report claiming the company employed child labor at one of its facilities.

Hawley wrote a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Tuesday, urging her to investigate the matter. He said his Senate Judiciary subcommittee opened its own investigation after being contacted by the whistleblower.

Tyson plants in Tennessee and elsewhere have been the subject of child labor investigations in recent years.

"The whistleblower, a former Tyson Foods employee who oversaw plant safety, alleges that they personally witnessed underage workers and also received multiple reports from hourly Tyson employees about child workers in the plant. According to the allegations, these child workers were employed by a third-party entity contracted by Tyson for work in the plant," Hawley wrote in his letter.

"After reporting concerns to company superiors about child workers employed at the plant, the whistleblower was subjected to retaliation and a 'toxic work environment.' Due to the toxic work environment, the whistleblower quit. Tyson is now pursuing legal action against them related to their departure from the company," the letter continued.

ONE DEAD, 2 HOSPITALIZED AFTER FIRE AT TYSON FOODS PLANT IN GEORGIA

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for a labor investigation into Tyson Foods on Tuesday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Hawley went on to note media reports showing that "Tyson purposely uses subcontractors to avoid punishment for illegally employing children. As a result, Tyson has successfully avoided all liability and culpability for its clear violations of child labor laws."

Tyson denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"We do not allow the employment of anyone under the age of 18 in any of our facilities, and we do not facilitate, excuse, or in any other way participate in the use of child labor by third parties. We take the enforcement of all labor laws seriously, and we verify the age of all team members by fully participating in the federal government's E-Verify and IMAGE programs. We also have multiple processes in place, including an anonymous ethics hotline, for all team members to report suspicious activity," a Tyson Foods spokesperson said in a statement.

EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2, INJURES SEVERAL, COMPANY CONFIRMS

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

During her confirmation hearing, Chavez-DeRemer vowed to use her role in the new Trump administration to crack down on labor abuses.

"Child labor should not be accepted by anybody in America. The Department of Labor has the enforcement capability to double down if [companies] are knowingly breaking the law and exploiting children in their factories," she told Hawley during the confirmation process.

Chavez-DeRemer's office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the secretary had received Hawley's letter on Tuesday.

"The Secretary is reviewing the Senator’s letter and remains committed to protecting America’s children from potential labor violations," Labor Department spokesperson Courtney Parella said in a statement.

A Tyson Foods logo is seen on a truck parked at a food warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

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Tyson also faced heavy criticism in 2024 after announcing plans to hire asylum seekers for one of its plants in Tennessee, just days after closing another facility in Iowa, costing roughly 1,000 jobs.

Read Hawley's full letter to the labor department here (app users click here)

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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