Daily Caller columnist Mary Rooke slammed the Biden administration Monday over its handling of migrant children in light of new reports of possible child labor violations.
Rooke appeared on Newsmax’s “Carl Higbie Frontline” to discuss a new report from The New York Times revealing how migrant children, some allegedly as young as seven, have been selling candy on New York City subways during school hours. (RELATED: Kathy Hochul Says Her National Guard Subway Patrol Is ‘Working’ Despite Recent Train Shooting)
Rooke told Higbie that the Times story is only the latest example of migrant children being exploited for their labor. In 2023, the Labor Department discovered that Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. had hired over 100 children across 13 locations, according to NBC News. The company paid a $1.5 million civil penalty.
“We have to kind of wonder what’s going on in the Biden administration,” Rooke said. “This isn’t the first big news story that’s come out telling us that child labor laws are being flouted in America. The New York Times may have uncovered this one, but the federal government knew that there were almost 100 children in [2023] that were hired by a slaughterhouse cleaning company. They were using [the children] to clean saws and using harsh chemicals on the floor … At what point is our government just going to admit that the open borders scheme is to erase American workers from the labor force and bring in cheap labor.”
“These children need protection, they need education … If they’re asylum seekers, and they’re in here, then tell us what you’re doing to uplift their lives,” she continued. “Because essentially, you’re allowing them to live the same third world country life that they did back in Ecuador, back in Venezuela, back in these countries they fled from — here in America. We all know how dangerous the New York subway system is. What is the point in having them here if they’re gonna have to face those same realities?”
New York has continued to struggle with the ongoing influx of migrants. As shelters in the sanctuary city have reached capacity, the city has adopted a new policy to kick out adults after 30 days and migrants under 23 with families after 60 days.
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams said recently that he believes the city’s sanctuary law needs to be changed to allow officials to deport illegal immigrants who commit felonies or violent acts.