On March 27, 2025, the Trump Administration abruptly terminated all of ILAB’s existing grants, canceling over $500 million allocated to combat child labor and forced labor abroad and support worker rights in trade partner countries. According to reports, the Administration eliminated this funding because it “lacked alignment with agency priorities and national security.” Several of these programs were initiated during the first Trump administration.

The programs being cut aren’t just about international goodwill; they are strategic tools that foster diplomacy, incentivise private actors to comply with global labor standards, and protect American workers and businesses from unscrupulous actors.

These cuts have dismantled efforts to combat child labor on cocoa farms that supply major U.S. chocolate brands and shut down programs addressing forced labor in cotton-producing countries, which undercut American farmers through unfair practices. They also ended initiatives aimed at ensuring fair treatment of workers in countries that export goods to the U.S., helping to level the playing field for American-made products.

Now, dedicated public servants have been pushed out with months-long efforts of intimidation and harassment, resulting in about a 40% cut to the ILAB workforce. Key partners, such as the Solidarity Center, the American Institutes for Research, and the Global March Against Child Labor, among others, have had to lay off staff, shutter offices, and abandon key partnerships on the ground. These layoffs will further weaken the infrastructure that protects both global human rights and U.S. economic interests.

These weren’t bloated, “America Last” programs. They are smart investments in fair trade, ethical supply chains, and American competitiveness. They prioritized American workers and businesses, as well as the global workforce.