Hundreds of ‘unlawful aliens’ detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai site; S Korea urges extreme caution
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Hundreds of ‘unlawful aliens’ detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai site; S Korea urges extreme caution")
Hundreds of ‘unlawful aliens’ detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai site; S Korea urges extreme caution Photograph: (X/@ATFAtlanta)
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday detained about 450 ‘unlawful aliens’ in a major raid at a battery plant construction site run by Hyundai.
As many as 450 workers were detained in a major raid carried out by the US immigration authorities at a battery plant construction site run by South Korean companies on Thursday (Sep 4). The operation targeted one of the largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites in the state of Georgia, where Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles. This comes in the wake of the US President Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Following the raids, South Korea on Friday (Sep 5) expressed “concern and regret”, saying that its nationals must not be unjustly infringed upon.
In a statement on X, the Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that it “joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety.”
Meanwhile, in a statement, the White House said on Friday (Sep 5), “Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorizations.”
ICE alleges ‘unlawful employment practices’
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Lindsay Williams confirmed the raids conducted by federal authorities at the 3,000-acre site west of Savannah. He added that agents were focused on the construction site for the battery plant. The Hyundai Motor Group, which employs about 1,200 people at the $7.6 billion plant, began its EV manufacturing operations at the site a year ago.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that federal agents executed a search warrant “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
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South Korea reacts to immigration raids
The South Korean Foreign Ministry said that “The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations.”
It further added in a statement, “We are actively responding to this incident by dispatching the Consul General of the US Embassy in Seoul and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and instructing the formation of an on-site response team centred around the local embassy.”
“In Seoul, we also conveyed our concerns and regrets today through the US Embassy in Korea and urged them to exercise extreme caution to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon,” it said.
