Misinformation Leads to Tyson Foods Being Accused of Hiring Over 52,000 Illegal Immigrants Seekers

In conjunction with these layoffs, the company has announced plans to hire 42,000 asylum seekers in New York, providing them with ‘job-and-lawyer’ packages. This strategic decision by Tyson Foods has sparked controversy and led to a boycott by concerned consumers.

The company currently employs over 120,000 Americans, according to US News.

Numerous claims began reporting Tyson Foods planned to hire over 50,000 people who traveled to the US illegally, according to AP News. But is there any truth to these claims?

The company, known for being a $53-million meat firm, faces criticism for its actions, which have led to a wave of plant closures across states including Iowa, Virginia, Arkansas, Indiana, and Missouri.

One user wrote, “Tyson is closing its facility in Perry, Iowa, and laying off its 1,200 workers. Instead, they plan to hire thousands of new illegals in states like New York. #BoycottTyson. Pass it on.”

The company’s effort to recruit thousands of asylum seekers in New York by offering wages of $16.50 an hour and free legal assistance for immigration has been seen by some as favoring migrant labor over U.S.-born workers.

They were quick to suggest it’s against the law for American companies to discriminate against national citizens in favor of cheaper non-citizens as employees. 

They wrote, “It is ILLEGAL under federal law to discriminate against American citizens based on their citizenship in favor of non-citizens of any kind when it comes to employment.”

Tyson Foods has also been noted for its political contributions, further complicating the public’s perception of the company’s actions.

Concerns that asylum seekers are taking jobs that might otherwise go to Americans, especially in sectors like meat-packing, have been amplified by Tyson Foods’ hiring plans. This debate is set against a backdrop of record low unemployment rates in the United States.

The workforce at the plant, which includes a significant number of Latino employees, faces uncertainty as the company shifts its employment strategy toward asylum seekers.

These decisions are part of a broader strategy to reduce operational costs following a slight decline in sales. The closures have raised concerns about the future of American jobs in these regions.

The company’s cooperation with the Tent Partnership for Refugees is part of a broader effort to integrate asylum seekers into the workforce, offering them competitive wages and legal assistance.

This comprehensive approach to hiring asylum seekers is seen as a way to address labor shortages and high turnover rates in some of Tyson Foods’ plants.

The senator claims his associates will monitor Tyson Foods to ensure the company is acting in accordance with American laws.

“All we know is that they are firing American workers and hiring illegal aliens to replace them. This is the entire point of illegal immigration — and Republicans, we’ve got to hammer this point home.”

The company’s actions have sparked a discussion about employment opportunities for Americans and the role of migrant labor in the economy. This debate touches on fundamental questions about the future of work in America.

According to a statement the food production company shared with Fox News, there’s been “a lot of misinformation in the media about our company” recently, and “we feel compelled to set the record straight.”

“Any insinuation that we would cut American jobs to hire immigrant workers is completely false,” the statement said.

“Tyson Foods is strongly opposed to illegal immigration, and we led the way in participating in the two major government programs to help employers combat unlawful employment, E-Verify and the Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program,” they said.

During a portion of the article, Bloomberg quotes Garrett Dolan, associate director of human resources at Tyson, who supposedly said the company plans to hire 52,000 people for factory jobs in 2024. Yet, according to Tyson, Dolan “misspoke.”

However, the media group later retracted the article after realizing it contained  “serious factual inaccuracies.”

Tyson Foods currently employs 42,000 people who are not American citizens. However, they are refugees and people who’ve been granted asylum in the US. These individuals are immediately granted work permits as soon as they enter the nation, according to AP News. 

Tyson Foods claims their decision to close the plants in Perry and other US locations comes amidst new business strategies. The food production company stands by its statement that “any insinuation that we would cut American jobs to hire immigrant workers is completely false.”