South Korea’s foreign minister may visit the United States to speak with President Donald Trump after Thursday’s immigration raid on a Hyundai factory in Georgia swept up and detained hundreds of South Koreans, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and U.S. State Department by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday afternoon for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump has initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, acting on his campaign promise to enact the largest mass deportation of such persons in U.S. history. Immigrants in the country with both legal and illegal residency have been caught up in the crackdown, raising concerns about the scope and impact of the initiative.
The massive multi-agency immigration raid on the factory saw the detainment of around 475 people, with agents focusing on a battery plant under construction adjacent to Hyundai’s main electric vehicle plant, a joint project between the car manufacturer and LG Energy Solution.
Federal prosecutors alleged someone had hired “hundreds of illegal aliens” to work on the site, but Hyundai rejected that claim, saying in a statement on Friday the company “is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate.”
“As of today, it is our understanding that none of those detained is directly employed by Hyundai Motor Company,” a Hyundai spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday.
Steven Schrank, special agent in charge, Homeland Security Investigations, said at a news briefing Friday that the majority of the people detained were from South Korea. He said it was the “largest single site enforcement operation” in the agency’s two-decade history.
What To Know
The raid on Thursday targeted one of Georgia’s biggest manufacturing projects, a $7.6 billion Hyundai Motor Group plant west of Savannah that began producing electric vehicles last year and employs about 1,200 people. State leaders, including Governor Brian Kemp, have promoted the site as Georgia’s largest economic development venture.
In response to the raid, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called an emergency meeting where he confirmed at least 300 of those arrested in the operation were South Korean nationals.
Some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the U.S. border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working, Cho told those gathered to address the issue, including two vice ministers and officials from the foreign ministry and overseas missions.
Cho also expressed “a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals,” adding that officials will “discuss sending a senior foreign ministry official to the site without delay, and, if necessary, I will personally travel to Washington to hold consultations with the U.S. administration.”
This follows instructions from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung that officials should make an all-out effort to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible, with the rights and interests of Korean nationals and business operations of Korean companies investing in the U.S. hanging in the balance.
What People Are Saying
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong said in a televised statement from Seoul said: “The business activities of our investors and the rights of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed in the process of U.S. law enforcement,”
Steven Schrank, special agent in charge, Homeland Security Investigations, said at a news briefing Friday: “This was not an immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks, and put them on buses. This has been a multi-month criminal investigation where we have developed evidence and conducted interviews, gathered documents and presented that evidence to the court in order to obtain a judicial search warrant.”
Hyundai’s statement added: “The safety and well-being of everyone working at our sites, whether directly employed by us or working for our suppliers, is a top priority. We take our responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously, and incidents like this remind us of the importance of robust oversight throughout our entire supply chain and contractor network. We are reviewing our processes to ensure that all parties working on our projects maintain the same high standards of legal compliance that we demand of ourselves. This includes thorough vetting of employment practices by contractors and subcontractors.”
A Department of Homeland Security official told Newsweek, in part: “This operation underscores our commitment to protecting jobs for Georgians, ensuring a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law, safeguarding the integrity of our economy, and protecting workers from exploitation. This investigation is focused on ensuring accountability for those who violate the law and upholding the rule of law.
The spokesperson added: “Complex cases like this require strong collaboration and extensive investigative efforts, and we extend our gratitude to the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, FBI, DEA, Customs and Border Protection, ATF, IRS, and the Georgia State Patrol for their invaluable support.”
What Happens Next?
Hyundai said Friday that North America chief manufacturing officer Chris Susock will now oversee the Georgia site. The company said it investigate to ensure “all suppliers and their subcontractors comply with all laws and regulations.”
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
The post South Korea Official May Visit US to Address Hyundai Factory Raid—Report appeared first on Newsweek.
