House Committee Seeks DHS Briefing on Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has requested a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). This 2021 law targets the import of Chinese products made with forced labor.

The UFLPA tasked DHS’s Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force with creating a strategy to stop goods made with forced labor from entering the United States. Human rights groups have highlighted abuses in Xinjiang, China, where Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic minority, face forced assimilation and labor.

“The Uyghurs are politically persecuted in Xinjiang, China. They’re forced to abandon their religion and assimilate into Chinese culture. Many perform labor for low or no wages,” explained Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Protests have erupted outside the Chinese embassy in London, demanding the dismantling of internment camps and protection of religious freedoms for Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

Khanna emphasized the UFLPA enforcement as not only a moral issue but also crucial for American economic and national security. He stated that competition from cheap Chinese labor undercuts American producers.

The bipartisan letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin outlines 10 concerns regarding the implementation of UFLPA, including updates to the list of companies linked to unfair labor practices. In July, DHS added 43 companies to this list.

The committee’s letter points out that products, including textiles and materials crucial for technology, continue reaching U.S. markets, despite being produced in regions linked to forced labor.

A report from The New York Times suggests that even cotton in popular products like “Labubu” dolls is linked to forced labor practices.

“Textiles often come from Uyghurs in China, a region where forcing labor is simpler,” noted Khanna. He also explained how China bypasses trade restrictions by outsourcing to other nations.

Khanna highlighted the challenge posed by China’s practices. They circumvent tariffs by manufacturing in countries like Malaysia or Vietnam. Khanna urges identifying product origins and barring those linked to forced Uyghur labor from U.S. markets.

Khanna stresses that addressing forced labor in China is a concern shared across party lines. The bipartisan letter includes signatures from eight lawmakers, with equal representation from both parties. “This is about fair trade and human rights. Americans support fair trade and oppose competition with slave labor,” Khanna stated.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., and Pop Mart for further comments.