Overview

• Fox News co-host Charlie Hurt suggested on July 27 that ending government benefits would push Americans, including children, into farm jobs like blueberry picking instead of relying on undocumented labor.
• The U.S. Department of Labor clarified that federal regulations permit minors as young as 12 to pick blueberries under specific age and safety conditions.
• Since early 2025, at least six Republican-led states—including Indiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky and West Virginia—have rolled back child labor safeguards such as work permits and rest-break requirements.
• Florida’s earlier proposal to authorize teenage farm labor did not pass and no new federal legislation on child labor has been introduced to date.
• The Economic Policy Institute warns that weakening child labor laws could heighten exploitation risks even as proponents argue it addresses farm labor shortages.