Labor Secretary Faces Lawsuit Over $80 Million Child Labor Program Cuts

Labor and international rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, challenging the abrupt termination of millions in grants for global programs aimed at combating child labor, forced labor, and trafficking. The plaintiffs, including the Solidarity Center, Global March Against Child Labour, and American Institutes for Research, argue that Congress specifically authorized and appropriated funds for these initiatives, and that the secretary lacked the authority to cancel them. Critics—including labor unions and industry groups—warn that cutting such programs harms American workers and businesses by enabling exploitative labor abroad, thereby undermining fair competition. The cuts, labeled by the administration as “America last,” have drawn bipartisan criticism for reversing longstanding consensus on the importance of addressing labor abuses in global supply chains. The lawsuit seeks to restore the funding, emphasizing the programs’ track record in improving labor conditions and wages in countries like Mexico and Uzbekistan. The Department of Labor has not publicly responded to the legal challenge.