Rokita investigating Tyson Foods in Logansport for alleged labor trafficking
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Attorney General Todd Rokita announced Wednesday he has sent a civil investigative demand to Tyson Foods in Logansport, as his office continues its investigation into alleged labor trafficking in three Indiana cities.
The announcement comes on the heels of Rokita’s office opening immigration-related investigations Nov. 9 into several nonprofits, government agencies and businesses, with the office alleging that an influx of migrants has created housing and possible labor trafficking issues in Evansville, Seymour and Logansport.
Rokita cited, “reported concerns about a largescale influx of illegal aliens and ‘legal migrants’ into local communities, in announcing that his office has sent a civil investigative demand to the Tyson Foods facility in Logansport seeking information related to human labor trafficking.”
A spokesperson for Tyson Foods’ corporate office did not immediately respond Wednesday to an email and phone message from Indiana Lawyer.
The CID stated Rokita’s office has reasonable cause to believe that Tyson Foods may be in possession, custody, or control of documentary materials or may have knowledge of facts that are relevant to an investigation being conducted concerning human labor trafficking and indecent nuisances.
“The vast number of additional people coming into our communities is alarming, and that’s just from the standpoint of seeing the staggering number of resources being put towards this fight – Every. Single. Day,” Rokita said in a news release. “When you have an open border and an influx of people coming over illegally by the millions, we can’t have companies incentivizing this criminal behavior by offering jobs for cheap labor. It’s not fair to those looking for employment or to our law enforcement, local hospitals and healthcare facilities, taxpayers that fund these services, and our housing and labor markets. We will continue looking into this growing issue.”
Rokita said his investigation is focused on the coordinated efforts among international and local nonprofit “refugee resettlement” organizations and employers, like Tyson Foods, to bring large numbers of migrants to Indiana.
On Nov. 9, Rokita announced he sent CIDs to the Cass County Health Department, Logansport Community School Corp., Berry Global Group Inc., Tent Partnership for Refugees, God is Good, and Jackson County Industrial Development Corp.
His office is conducting these investigations pursuant to its authority under Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and indecent nuisance statute.
According to the CID, Tyson Foods must respond in writing by Dec. 4.