Tyson Foods Inc on Wednesday denied allegations made by a group founded by former Trump administration officials that the company discriminates against American citizens in its hiring practices, favoring immigrants including children and illegal immigrants.
The America First Legal (AFL) organization has sent letters to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and civil rights agencies in Iowa, requesting an investigation into the hiring practices of the Arkansas-based meat processing company.
The organization is led by Stephen Miller, a senior advisor to former Republican President Donald Trump known for his hardline stance on immigration policy. Former acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is a board member, and several of the organization’s lawyers worked in the Justice Department during Trump's administration.
A Tyson spokesperson stated in a release that the company strongly opposes illegal immigration and does not allow anyone under the age of 18 to work in its facilities.
The spokesperson said, “The suggestion that we discriminate against American workers in favor of hiring immigrant workers is completely false. Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) currently employs 120,000 team members in the United States, all of whom must be legally authorized to work in the country.”
The AFL letter indicated that Tyson employs 42,000 foreign workers, accounting for more than a third of its U.S. workforce, and is engaged in efforts to recruit more employees.
AFL stated that Tyson has taken advantage of the surge in illegal border crossings that peaked last year to build a cheap labor pool.
According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank, more than half of all meat processing workers in the United States are immigrants, whereas about 17% of the total U.S. workforce are immigrants.
AFL highlighted that a major food sanitation company contracting with Tyson and other meat processors recently paid $1.5 million in fines for employing minors in hazardous work. Some of these children worked at Tyson's plants, although the company was not charged with any wrongdoing.
AFL accused Tyson of violating federal and Iowa state laws that prohibit employers from discriminating based on citizenship, race, national origin, and other characteristics.
The Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Iowa agencies are not obligated to respond to these complaints or conduct an investigation. If they do investigate and find these claims substantiated, they can attempt to negotiate a resolution with Tyson or sue the company.
AFL has filed more than 30 complaints against diversity policies at major U.S. companies, alleging discrimination against men or white, Asian, and heterosexual workers. However, the complaint against Tyson appears to be the organization’s first involving allegations of bias against American workers.
The commission has not indicated whether it is investigating these complaints.
