Scholten talks child labor laws, immigration at first Grand Haven town hall

U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten Discusses Child Labor Laws and Immigration Policies

Introduction

GRAND HAVEN, MI – U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, talked about toughening child labor law penalties and revamping the country’s immigration policies Tuesday during a town hall meeting in Grand Haven.

Agenda and Goals

Speaking to a crowd of West Michigan residents at Central Park Place, Scholten talked about her agenda and goals since she took office before fielding questions.

• Returning resources back to taxpayers
• Meeting with community leaders and residents
• Improving access to passports, water infrastructure, and more

Legislative Efforts

The first-term Democrat also said she’s focused her legislative efforts on bills with bipartisan support, highlighting her co-sponsoring of 74 bills and four original bills since taking office.

Understanding Unique Needs

“It’s really important for me to communicate to folks in Ottawa County and Muskegon County that we understand the unique needs of different counties and communities throughout Michigan’s Third Congressional District,” she told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. “We want to show up and hear directly from folks about what’s on their minds in Ottawa County.”

Town Hall Meetings

The Tuesday, Aug. 1 town hall was her third since taking office. She’s organized a town hall meeting in all three counties in her district.

Immigration Policies

“The bill I introduced would ensure Border Patrol agents have the resources they need to properly control the southern border,” said Scholten. “It’s a security issue, but it’s also a humanitarian issue. Nearly 4,500 people are trafficked across the border every single year. These are vulnerable children we’re talking about.

The broken immigration system creates shadows in this country where child labor exploitation can exist. No one is benefiting from this broken immigration system. It’s beyond time to fix it, and that’s why I joined with my Republican colleagues to introduce the Dignity Act.”

The bipartisan legislation would bill make reforms to several aspects of our immigration system, including additional pathways for citizenship and new pathways for asylum seekers.

Child Labor Laws

“It was just a few weeks into my first term when a story broke about exploited migrant children across the country with a dateline of Grand Rapids, MI,” she said, describing the immediate call to action to strengthen child labor violation penalties.

“We are not talking about kids working after-school jobs or instilling a good work ethic. This is about keeping six-year-olds out of slaughterhouses. We can do so much better in the United States of America.”

The Justice for Exploited Children Act, which Scholten introduced in late March, would increase the maximum penalty for violating child labor standards from $15,138 to $132,270. Violations that cause serious injury or death jump from $132,270 to $601,250.

Constituent Questions

Following her opening remarks, the town hall featured a question-and-answer session with constituents. Residents of the district asked questions about immigration policies and security issues, strikes for unfair labor practices, state funding, as well as water quality and tax structures.

A question from one attendee, who was a veteran, inquired what steps Congress would take to fix the immigration policy and “why the Biden administration isn’t enforcing the existing laws.”

Positive Feedback

The congresswoman received some positive feedback from some in attendance for her efforts.

Joshua Ferguson (she/her), a Grand Rapids resident, said she is a big fan of Scholten because she has spoken out in favor of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer/questioning) community.

Conclusion

“A lot of people have one idea of what West Michigan

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article discusses U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten’s efforts to toughen child labor law penalties and revamp the country’s immigration policies. These issues are connected to SDG 8, which aims to promote decent work and economic growth, SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequalities, and SDG 16, which aims to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor
• Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are Target 8.7, which focuses on eradicating forced labor and child labor, Target 10.7, which aims to facilitate safe and responsible migration, and Target 16.2, which aims to end abuse and exploitation of children.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

No indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

The article does not provide specific indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. However, indicators for these targets could include the number of cases of forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labor reported and prosecuted, as well as the implementation of migration policies that ensure safe and responsible migration. Additionally, indicators could include the reduction in the number of cases of abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and violence against children.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: mlive.com

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