Labor Department inspectors who find child workers decide alone whether to call for help
A September 30, 2025 DOL Office of Inspector General advisory report (17-25-001-15-001) on the Wage and Hour Division's child labor enforcement said the OIG is 'concerned with the handling of instances of possible labor trafficking of minors' found by WHD investigators. A WHD official told the OIG that when a worker is obviously a minor, only the onsite investigator's 'good judgment and prudence' decides whether to call child protective services or police, and WHD cannot stop minors from leaving; the OIG warned that slow referrals across agencies can let possible victims disappear. In one 2024 case, a minor found during a garment-factory inspection stopped responding to WHD around June and was referred for possible trafficking only in October, after co-workers raised concerns; OIG agents later found him living with relatives and safe. Child labor violations WHD found rose 103% from fiscal 2019 to 2023 while its investigator count fell from 780 to 733.
only good judgment and prudence by the onsite WHD investigator would dictate whether WHD personnel would call a child protective services agency or local law enforcement
Advisory Report: Review of WHD Efforts to Address Child Labor Law Violation Challenges
Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.
The U.S. House passed H.R. 4307, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, which would require DOL to train Wage and Hour staff to identify trafficking victims, set a clear referral course to DOJ and report annually on referrals; it was received in the Senate on March 4, 2026. Source ↗