The High Cost of Child Labor in Massachusetts' Factories and Fish Plants.
An increasing number of young migrants are making the dangerous journey to the United States to earn money for their families, often working long, late hours at grueling jobs in violation of child labor laws. These young migrants are working in construction, slaughterhouses, and producing goods for major brands. Massachusetts has fewer large factories and meat-packing plants than other states, but migrant children are still working in fish processing plants, roofing houses, and toiling in greenhouses. The federal government doesn’t formally check in on unaccompanied minors to ensure they aren’t working in illegal conditions. The trauma these kids have suffered is often overlooked, and many lack basic literacy skills and may not get much-needed language assistance.