us-ice-detains-475-illegal-workers-from-hyundai-plant

US investigative authorities have detained over 475 workers at a plant of a South Korean Automaker in the state of Georgia in a massive raid against illegal migrants on Saturday.

Officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, the Federal, and other agencies raided the Hyundai Motor battery plant on Thursday. The ICE authorities said that the enforcement operation resulted in 475 arrests.

They said the detained workers were illegally residing in the country, including people who illegally crossed into the United States through the border. They said some of the workers had no legal permit to work, while most of them had already overstayed their visas.

 

According to officials quoted by some reporters, more than 300 of those detained were South Korean citizens. The ICE issued a comment later saying that, "The US wholeheartedly welcomes all businesses wishing to invest in the United States, but if companies require foreign labour, they must bring in workers legally, as illegal workers will be sent back to their respective countries."

 

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On Friday, President Donald Trump informed reporters that the people detained were "illegal aliens" and ICE was just doing its job.

Meanwhile, responding to the development on Saturday, the South Korean foreign ministry said it had conveyed its concerns over the US ICE raid on the Georgia Hyundai Plant. The spokesperson said, “The economic activities of our companies investing in the US and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unfairly violated."

The automaker also said it is reviewing its process to ensure all parties maintain the "same high standards of legal compliance that we demand of ourselves".

The US has recently cracked a whip on the people who have either entered the country through illegal means or overstayed their visas and work permits. Thousands of immigrants have been detained and sent back to their native countries.

 

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