Over 475 immigrants detained at Hyundai factory in US' Georgia, most of them from South Korea

Washington, Sep 6 (IANS) US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia has said that federal agents arrested more than 475 individuals without legal status, most of them from South Korea, after executing a search warrant earlier this week at a Hyundai battery factory in the US state of Georgia.

"Over the course of the day, federal, state, and local law enforcement executed the search warrant and identified hundreds of illegal workers. Law enforcement identified over 475 people who were unlawfully working at the location," according to a press statement from the office.

US Attorney Margaret Heap said in the statement that the goal of this operation was "to reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorised workers" and "to protect unauthorised workers from exploitation".

Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations for the states of Georgia and Alabama, said at a press conference that those immigrants were "illegally present in the United States, or in violation of their presence in the United States, working unlawfully, who have entered through a variety of different means into the United States".

The investigation had been ongoing for several months before the raid, he noted, adding that it covered a network of subcontractors and the arrested were working for multiple different companies on site, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to US National Public Radio, ICE spokesman Lindsay Williams confirmed that federal authorities carried out the enforcement operation at a 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) site west of Savannah, Georgia.

"The raid raises a possible tension between two of (US) President Donald Trump's top priorities -- building up manufacturing within the US and cracking down on illegal immigration. It also could put stress on the country's relationship with a key ally," the BBC reported.

South Korea has conveyed its "concerns and regret" to the US about the ICE raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia that resulted in the arrests of 475 people, most of whom are Korean nationals.

Lee Jae-woong, Spokesperson for South Korea's Foreign Ministry, said in a televised statement on Friday that "many of our nationals were detained" during the raid.

"The economic activities of our companies investing in the US and the interests of our citizens must not be unduly violated during the course of US law enforcement," Lee added.

Lee said South Korea "conveyed our concerns and regret through the US Embassy today, urging special attention to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens are not violated".

--IANS

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