Around 300 South Korean nationals were swept up in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, Seoul has said
South Korea has lodged a protest after the US immigration authorities detained hundreds of workers at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing complex in Georgia.
The raid took place on Thursday at the construction site of a battery plant in Bryan County near Savannah, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution that employs around 1,200 people. US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said the operation was part of an inquiry into unlawful employment practices.
The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reported that 450 “unlawful aliens” were taken into custody.
Today, @ATFAtlanta 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. #ATFpic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said around 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, including employees of partner firms visiting on business trips. Many reportedly entered the US on short-term business visas or under the Visa Waiver Program, but the immigration authorities concluded that their activities at the site did not match the purpose of their stay.
“The economic activities of our investment firms and the rights of our citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, according to local media. “We have also conveyed our concerns and regret through the US Embassy in Seoul, urging them to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens are fully protected.”
The ministry added that President Lee Jae-myung ordered “an all-out response” to resolve the issue, with Seoul considering “trips to the US by high-level officials.”
US President Donald Trump has made illegal immigration a central focus of his administration, vowing to carry out the largest deportation of criminal aliens in the country’s history.
