1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to express profound objection regarding the recent surge in legislative efforts across the United States to weaken child labor protections. As detailed in the Guardian report from March 22, 2026, child labor violations have increased fivefold over the past decade. Despite this alarming trend, states like Nebraska, Indiana, and West Virginia have recently enacted laws that erode the safety and economic rights of our most vulnerable citizens. I urge you to oppose such rollbacks and instead champion legislation that strengthens child labor protections and human trafficking prevention. The recent wave of rollbacks—including Nebraska’s reduction of the minimum wage for 14- and 15-year-olds, Indiana’s elimination of minor-worker tracking databases, and West Virginia’s removal of hazardous occupation lists—is a dangerous step backward. These measures do not provide opportunity; rather, they create a cheap labor pool at the expense of children’s education, health, and safety. Research shows that injury rates among workers under 18 nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020. Weakening supervision and oversight only invites further tragedy. Furthermore, there is a direct and undeniable link between the deregulation of child labor and the increased risk of human trafficking. When we eliminate work permits, age verification, and tracking systems, we remove the tripwires that allow the Department of Labor and law enforcement to identify exploitation before it escalates to trafficking. Vulnerable populations and children in the foster care system are most at risk when these rules are erased. To protect our children and uphold the dignity of work, I ask you to support the following measures: Substantially Increase Penalties: Support the "Let’s Protect Workers Act" or similar legislation to increase fines from the current inadequate levels to at least $25,000 per violation, and up to $700,000 for cases resulting in a minor's death or permanent injury. Mandate Enhanced Tracking: Restore and expand state and federal databases to ensure every minor in the workforce is accounted for and supervised. Strengthen Anti-Trafficking Training: Fund and mandate specialized training for educators and Department of Labor inspectors to identify the signs of labor trafficking and forced labor during routine wage and hour inspections. Expand Hazardous Occupation Lists: Update federal and state regulations to include modern industrial risks that have not been revised in decades. Children should be in schools and learning spaces, not in meat coolers, industrial laundries, or logging sites. I urge you to put the welfare of our children above corporate lobbying interests and to act decisively to prevent the return of Gilded Age labor exploitation. I look forward to hearing your position on this critical issue.