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| ▲ This file photo, provided by Hyundai Motor Group, shows the Hyundai Motor Group Meta Plant America, its manufacturing facility in Ellabell, located in Bryan County, west of Savannah, Georgia. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Hyundai-LG-US raid
U.S. authorities detain some 450 individuals from Hyundai Motor plant in Georgia in immigration raid: reports
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- U.S. immigration authorities have detained as many as 450 employees at a manufacturing site in Georgia run by South Korean auto company Hyundai Motor Group, as part of a raid for an investigation into undocumented individuals at workplaces, reports said Friday.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Investigations sent agents to Hyundai's manufacturing facility in Ellabell, located in Bryan County, west of Savannah, to carry out a search warrant, according to local media reports.
They took about 450 people into custody, including more than 30 South Koreans on business travel from Seoul. They all face possible charges of illegal stay, according to the reports quoting immigration authorities.
The individuals from Seoul arrived in the United States on a B1 visa, issued for business purposes such as attending meetings or signing contracts, or under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waiver program for short-term stays.
The South Korean consulate in Atlanta is forming a legal team, including Korean American lawyers, and they plan to visit the facility where the workers are being held, a consulate official said.
A foreign ministry official in Seoul told Yonhap that the ministry is gathering facts to grasp the situation and in communication with the company over the matter.
Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution, a major South Korean battery maker, are building a new battery plant for electric vehicles under their joint venture based in Georgia, where Hyundai operates its manufacturing facility, considered one of the largest foreign investments in the U.S. state.
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