Meat-packing giant Tyson Foods has always been a supporter of migrants in America. However, its plan to help the migrants over Americans has backfired greatly. 

Tyson Foods Inc. is one of the biggest multinational corporations in the American food industry. With its head office located in Springdale, Arkansas, it is the second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, pork, and beef in the world. The company has been an avid supporter of migrants in the United States, providing jobs to thousands of immigrants across the country. 

The America First Legal (AFL) is famous for its constant conservative stance on various issues. This time, the body has lodged several complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and also reached the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Iowa Civil Rights Commission. The reason for these multiple complaints against the $54 billion meat-packing company is that Tyson Foods is favoring migrant employees over American citizens. 

Tyson Foods made a hugely controversial move when it announced that it was cutting off 1,300 jobs at a plant in Iowa while also boosting new migrant hires in New York City. This caused a huge uproar and talks of boycotting among citizens who felt attacked by the company’s strategies and unfair decisions. 

Tyson Foods is quite aware of all the backlash and collapse against the company. However, the company’s representatives have come out to debunk the claims that Tyson Foods favors migrant labor over that of American citizens. As the company navigates the ongoing controversy and numerous accusations, it remains steadfast in its stance on impartiality. 

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However, the AFL and its members do not agree with Tyson Foods’ explanation. Instead, Reed Rubinstein, an AFL lawyer, has openly criticized the company’s executives for their approach to this issue. He believes that Tyson Foods should put American citizens first in whatever they do and not favor migrants over the country’s citizens. 

Looking at the numbers, it does not seem as though the company is favoring migrants over American citizens. This is because the company’s workforce stands at 120,000 people. Of this number, only 35%, or 42,000, are migrants. The rest are American citizens, and the company will be sure to point this out during the legal battles ahead. 

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Earlier in 2024, Tyson Foods planned to double the number of its migrant employees. There are several plans and partnerships in place that will allow Tyson to legally hire refugees who would otherwise find it hard to get meaningful employment. Immediately after the company announced this move, it was met with a lot of raised eyebrows and backlash from conservatives. 

Another distinct thing that Tyson Foods does is give free legal aid to migrants. Therefore, the AFL has pointed this out, claiming that the company was spending millions of dollars on legal aid for these immigrant employees while their American counterparts did not have access to this. This has been a major point of focus for Americans as they believe it shows favoritism towards immigrants. 

Another huge reason for this constant controversy is that Tyson Foods allegedly hired underaged migrant workers. What’s more, these underaged workers allegedly work mainly during risky overnight shifts. Therefore, this is another final point for critics, as they have highlighted the dangers of employing young, vulnerable, and inexperienced workers for risky positions. 

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The AFL’s main argument is that Tyson Foods deliberately hires more immigrants than U.S. citizens. Therefore, they believe this is a huge discrimination against these American workers who are in dire need of jobs, just like the immigrants. In their complaints and suits, the AFL is calling on the justice systems to carry out thorough investigations into Tyson Foods’ employment practices and stop unfair practices. 

Regardless of the multiple allegations and backlash that Tyson Foods is getting, the company maintains its stance against discrimination. An official statement from the company says that they would never cut American jobs in order to favor immigrant workers in their place. They also hoped that the statement would help to reduce the many claims and accusations against them for a while. 

According to several business insiders from the meat-packing industry, Tyson Foods might have an ulterior motive for hiring immigrants. This is because immigrants are more likely to take low pay compared to Americans who would demand high wages. Therefore, this can be another reason why the company might prefer to hire immigrants and not Americans. 

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