Senator Josh Hawley is once again turning up the heat on Tyson Foods, accusing the meatpacking giant of employing illegal aliens and children through third-party contractors, all while shuttering U.S. plants and firing American workers.

During a fiery Senate hearing this week, Hawley grilled Andrew Rogers—President Trump’s nominee to lead the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division—about the department’s handling of explosive allegations against Tyson. While Rogers didn’t confirm details of the ongoing probe, he committed to fully investigating any violations related to child or illegal labor.

The accusations stem from a whistleblower complaint submitted by a former Tyson employee who oversaw plant safety. The former staffer claimed to have personally witnessed minors working in a Tyson plant, allegedly employed through a third-party staffing firm. According to the whistleblower, hourly employees also reported child labor in the facility—concerns the whistleblower raised internally before ultimately resigning after what they describe as a retaliatory and toxic work environment. To make matters worse, Tyson is reportedly pursuing legal action against the former employee.

Hawley isn’t sitting quietly. He’s launched his own investigation through his Senate subcommittee and demanded the Department of Labor act immediately. In a previous letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, he wrote, “Given your role in enforcing federal labor law, I urge you to fully investigate these troubling allegations.”

The response? The Labor Department has confirmed its Wage and Hour Division is actively investigating both Tyson and its contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act. That means the allegations—far from being dismissed—are receiving serious scrutiny from federal regulators.

The political backdrop makes this even more damning. In 2023, Tyson closed eight plants across Arkansas, Missouri, and Indiana—laying off over 4,200 American workers. Meanwhile, if the whistleblower’s claims prove accurate, Tyson was simultaneously outsourcing jobs to third-party entities employing undocumented and underage labor.

Hawley called out the hypocrisy in no uncertain terms: “This is a Fortune 500 corporation outsourcing jobs to illegal labor while laying off hardworking Americans. It’s not just unethical—it may be criminal.”

These allegations strike at a broader pattern of corporate abuse where major companies exploit immigration loopholes and contract staffing agencies to bypass labor protections. Tyson isn’t alone—other food processing giants have faced similar accusations—but the scale and timing of these layoffs make this case particularly egregious.

Tyson Foods has yet to provide a detailed public response to the new wave of scrutiny. But if federal investigators validate the whistleblower’s claims, the fallout could be massive—legal consequences, public backlash, and even congressional reform to tighten restrictions on third-party labor practices.

The use of child labor and illegal hiring also undercuts the credibility of any corporate messaging about ethical sourcing, community investment, or worker safety. As Americans struggle with rising costs and job uncertainty, revelations like this send a clear signal: some corporations are putting profit before law, decency, and their own citizens.

Hawley has made it clear—this fight is only beginning. With investigations underway and public attention mounting, Tyson Foods may soon face the consequences of what’s happening behind the scenes at its plants.