At the beginning of this week, the federal immigration authorities carried out a comprehensive asset operation at the building location of the Hyundai LG battery plant in Bryan County, Georgia. He hung 475 workers and triggered diplomatic tensions between the United States and South Korea.The RAID on Tuesday morning, which was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), is the greatest immigration measure of immigration in US history in US history, according to federal officials. The system, part of an electric vehicle battery project of 7.6 billion US dollars from Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution, is one of the largest industrial investments in the history of Georgia.
Screams, chains, panic: in the largest raid by Ice's largest construction site; Hyundai Georgia work becomes “war zone”.
Hundreds detained, site switches offThe immigration increases to the construction site of the HL -GA Battery Co. system, a joint venture between Hyundai and LG. The authorities said that most of the imprisoned nationals were South Korean citizens who were accused of violating the US immigration laws, including Visa overridden and non -authorized employment.While the operation in the adjacent EV production system from Hyundai continued continuously, the construction of the battery system was hung indefinitely.Several agencies took part in the operation, including the US immigration and customs authority (ICE), the FBI, the DEA, the IRS and the office for alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives (ATF). A criminal search order made it possible to confiscate federal agents to confiscate immigration documents and employment documents from the website.Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene during the robbery. According to reports, some workers hid in air channels or jumped into a nearby pond to avoid arrest.Answers from companies and reignsIn a statement after the attack, Hyundai made it clear that none of his direct employees belonged to the arrested, and emphasized that it expects all contractors and subcontractors to comply with the applicable laws. LG Energy Solution indicated that the investigators work completely.The South Korean government reacted quickly and “” significant “the number of imprisoned nationals and asked the United States to protect the rights of its citizens. Seoul sent diplomats to Georgia and took negotiations with Washington to secure the release of the workers.A deal had been achieved by Saturday to repatriate more than 300 South Korean prisoners over chartered flights until administrative work was completed.No criminal charges submitted – YetDespite the extent of the enforcement measures, no criminal complaints were submitted at the time of printing. The examination has not yet been completed, whereby the federal authorities can result in more measures.The White House published an explanation in which the operation defended: “The United States will enforce immigration and labor laws regardless of who the employer is. Foreign employees must have legal approval to live and work in the United States.”Political FalloutThe RAID also inflamed the political debate in Georgia and beyond. The Democrats criticized the time of the raid, which indicates that he was politically motivated and could relax foreign investments. The Republicans defended the lawsuit and took them as a necessary step to protect American jobs and a legal dispute.The company underlines the increasing examination of the work practices in important industrial projects, especially those who rely on a large number of foreign contractors. In the middle of the rehearsal of the Trump government, there is also a closer immigration enforcement and a stronger supervision of foreign workers.Construction remains at the location by Sunday, and the long-term effects on the Hyundai LG battery project are unclear.
