Democrats and the left love to tell us that allowing millions of illegal immigrants into the country is somehow "humane." But they never seem to have an explanation of how drug and human trafficking, rapes and assaults on the border, and becoming homeless, essentially living on the streets of America's cities, rise to the level of being humane. Democrat-run cities in blue states bragged about being sanctuary cities and states. But now, they are being overrun with illegal immigrants. There is one more thing to add to the dubious list of horrific problems the Biden administration has created with its open border policy - which no one in these blue cities and states seems to think is their problem to deal with - and that is child labor.

Migrant children selling candy in NYC subways: A concerning sight raising questions about child labor laws and parental supervision. What's being done? 🍬🚇#ChildLabor #NYC

Read more here⬇️https://t.co/yd6JmIQ1r0

— Latin Times (@latin_times_) March 13, 2024

New York City subways are now teeming with children, many of them very young, selling things like candy bars, gum, and breath mints to commuters. The children are sometimes accompanied by an adult, other times not. But many of these children of illegal immigrants, mainly from Ecuador, now that they are in the place where they were no doubt promised a better life by the people who brought them here, are doing the same thing they would be doing at home. Children as young as seven or eight years old, instead of being in school and interacting with other children their age, are working the subways for a few dollars to support their families. 

There are obvious problems here. Besides actually being inhumane for children to be working, it is unlawful to sell merchandise in the subway or any other part of the New York Transit system without a permit. There is a $50 fine for doing so. In addition, anyone under the age of 14 is not allowed to work at most jobs. Secondly, according to New York state law, children between the ages of 6-17 are required to be in school. New York City Mayor Eric Adams went to Ecuador in October and, while there, stated, “In New York City, we do not allow our children to be in dangerous environments." Perhaps the Mayor should ride the subway more because that is exactly what is happening.

"Despite the DOL’s stated commitment to prioritize child labor cases, 64 percent of the cases in the city reviewed by the comptroller, remained open after three months."

New York Department of Labor Not Doing Enough to Stop Child Labor, Report Finds https://t.co/NGQhVdxZxS

— Alexander Russo (@alexanderrusso) February 8, 2024

So, who is responsible for putting a stop to this? That is not an easy answer to get. Several city and state agencies have declared that the problem was not theirs. The New York State Labor Dept. stated that it was "difficult to determine" whether this practice violated child labor laws, citing that the laws usually referred to "employers and employees." These kids are seven and eight years old, that doesn't violate a law or two? The New York City Administration for Children's Services merely stated that if a child is seen in what could be an unsafe situation, people should call the state child abuse hotline. But the purveyors of that hotline, the State Office of Children and Family Services, says the selling of merchandise by young children in the subway does not constitute maltreatment or neglect. Only if the child was deemed to be in imminent danger, like selling candy at a dangerous intersection. 

And as usual, Democrats and the left's naive "good intentions" always have unforeseen consequences, none of them good. Because of illegal immigrants trying to make a living selling candy and gum to commuters, the New York subway has now been divided into "turf." Immigrants are claiming certain train platforms as their "territory" and threatening anyone else who tries to sell merchandise there. The problem of illegal immigrant child labor is not just happening in New York, and it's not new. In July of 2023, a 16-year-old from Guatemala was killed at the poultry plant he was working at in Mississippi. A 15-year-old was killed when he fell 40 feet off of a roof he was working on in Alabama. 

How long until one of these children is kidnapped and forced into another line of work far more dangerous than selling candy and gum? It may have already happened. Will any city or state agency take responsibility for that? Don't count on it.

Children are wandering dangerous subways alone to subsidize themselves, and radical progressive Democrats couldn’t care less

No elected official should be okay with exploitative child labor, including of migrant minors
https://t.co/W6Jvj1aue9

— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) March 18, 2024