Labor Dept. looking at SC chicken plant

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ A South Carolina chicken processing plant is under federal investigation for possible child labor violations following the arrests of suspected illegal immigrants during a raid, including six juveniles, the U.S Labor Department said Friday.

Federal agents swept through the House of Raeford’s Columbia Farms plant in Greenville Tuesday morning during shift change.

Of the 331 detained, three were juveniles from Mexico and three from Guatemala, officials said. Two were released to their caregivers. Agents are working with the Mexican and Guatemalan consulates to reunite the other four with their families there, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a news release.

Five of the juveniles were 16 years old, and one was 15 years old, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald. Federal prosecutors are waiting on the Labor Department to conclude its investigation before deciding possible charges.

“Until we get the report back, I don’t want to speculate,“ said McDonald, who expected the report soon.

House of Raeford processes chickens and turkeys in eight plants in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan. Messages left Friday at the company’s Raeford, N.C., headquarters for comment on the labor investigation were not immediately returned. The company has said it is cooperating with law enforcement.

Under federal law, 15-year-olds cannot work during school hours or more than three hours per day on school days. Child labor laws also bar 15-year-olds from working between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. and prohibit teens under 18 from working hazardous jobs, including in meat packing or processing. Exemptions apply only for apprenticeships.

Violators can be required to pay a civil fine of up to $11,000 per worker for each part of the law violated. They’re also subject to criminal fines.

The raid was part of a 10-month investigation into the plant’s hiring practices. Eleven workers — including a supervisor — face criminal charges for crimes including re-entry after deportation, aggravated identity theft, counterfeit documents and false statements, according to the immigration agency.