Tyson Foods accused of discriminatory employment practices against US citizens

America First Legal (AFL), a nonprofit founded by former Trump administration officials, has accused Tyson Foods of discriminating against American residents by favouring the employment of immigrants, especially children, and people in the country illegally. The charges were presented in letters to the US Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and an Iowa civil rights organisation on Wednesday, seeking probes into the meatpacking company's employment procedures.

According to AFL, Tyson Foods employs 42,000 foreign workers, accounting for more than one-third of its US workforce, and actively participates in recruitment programs. According to the AFL's complaint, more than half of all meatpacking workers in the United States are immigrants, which is much higher than the national average of 17 per cent for all industries.

Stephen Miller, a former top adviser to President Donald Trump renowned for his strict immigration views, leads the AFL. The board includes Matthew Whitaker, the former Acting Attorney General of the United States, and numerous staff lawyers from the Trump administration's Justice Department.

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According to AFL, Tyson Foods took advantage of the spike in illegal border crossings, which peaked last year, to establish a source of cheap labour. The group cited recent penalties imposed by a food sanitation company that works with Tyson and other meat processors for hiring juveniles in unsafe conditions. Although Tyson was not formally accused of any misconduct in these cases, the AFL claims the firm violated federal and Iowa statutes that prohibit employment discrimination based on citizenship status, race, national origin, and other protected characteristics.

Tyson Foods responded by stating that the company is adamantly opposed to illegal immigration and does not allow persons under the age of 18 to work in its facilities. "Any suggestion that we would discriminate against Americans tohire immigrants is entirely incorrect. Tyson Foods currently employs 120,000 team members in the United States, all of whom must be legally authorised to work in this nation," stated the spokesperson.

The Justice Department, the EEOC, and the Iowa agency have no obligation to respond or examine the accusations. If they decide to investigate and discover validity in the claims, they could reach an agreement with Tyson or file a lawsuit.

The AFL has previously filed over 30 complaints, principally with the EEOC, accusing large US firms of having diversity programs that purportedly discriminate against men or white, Asian, and heterosexual workers. The case against Tyson is the AFL's first instance of charging bias against American workers.

The EEOC has not commented on whether it is looking into any of the allegations made by AFL.

(With inputs from Reuters)