4w ago

Over 300 South Koreans to return home after arrests at US Hyundai plant

www.aljazeera.com

Trump warns firms on immigration law as detained South Koreans to go free

US immigration authorities said on Friday that they had detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, when hundreds of federal agents raided Hyundai’s sprawling manufacturing site in Georgia, where the Korean automaker makes electric vehicles.
The Pew Research Center, citing preliminary Census Bureau data, said the US labour force lost more than 1.2 million immigrants from January through July.

41 comments

I've seen this article a whole bunch now, and I have yet to see anyone day if these SK workers were even here under false visas or something? They say they haven't been charged, but are they just rounding up "legitimate" immigrant labor now, not even holding to their own flimsy pretense?
- from another source
  Some of the detainees had entered the country unlawfully, while others arrived on temporary visas or through a waiver program that does not allow employment, according to Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations.
  Attorney Charles Kuck, who represents two detained workers, told AP his clients arrived under the visa waiver program and were in the country legally for tourism or business. He said one had been in the U.S. for only two weeks and the other for 45 days, both planning to return home soon.
  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Lindsay Williams told AP that some individuals were detained due to prior criminal records and added, "Once citizens have identified themselves, we have no authority" to detain them. Hyundai stated Friday that it believed none of its direct employees were among those detained and said it was reviewing its practices to ensure legal compliance by contractors and subcontractors.
  
  Thank you! That's... not much better, but at least it hasn't gotten quite as bad as it's going to...?
  sigh. This shit is so fucking exhausting. just. fuck.
  
  Hyundai stated Friday that it believed none of its direct employees were among those detained and said it was reviewing its practices to ensure legal compliance by contractors and subcontractors.
  Wow such a typical big corpo move. Hundreds of people working for Hyundai, none employed by them. Legal issues can be punted to contractors, while they review themselves real hard (they promise).
  
  Appreciate the context. Still feels excessive, but at least more warranted than a lot of their other activities. I really hope they just go after corporations, but I doubt they will.
- Seems like it. Pretty sure all they care about is being able to report “we arrested 450 illegals” regardless of the actual truth of the situation.
  
  and by 'illegals' they mean 'brown people' (regardless of origin or nationality or legal status to work here).
  
  Yeah. If you look at what the directives have been from above, it's very very obvious in retrospect that ICE would be just wandering around arresting people completely at random, because they will literally get in trouble if they do literally anything else.
- I know this isn't a real source but I know someone who works at this plant and he said most were here on 3 month visit visas.
  Essentially they'd be paid back in SK for their 3 months of work and would cycle in and out in rotations.
  Out of all the insane raids ICE has conducted, this one is actually quite a big find since it's Hyandai essentially bypassing visa requirements for cheap labor.
  Most likely ICE isn't sure whether to charge the immigrant workers or fine Hyandai since Hyandai is the one that offered them jobs and told them the process of working under a visit visa.
  I think they will likely get deported without any criminal charges or individual fines, but will obviously get blacklisted from any future entrance into the US.
- I have yet to see anyone day if these SK workers were even here under false visas or something?
  Umm... Trump regime already removed their hoods off about supposedly removing illegal immigrants. It is pogrom towards any foreigners.
- Yes.
- ice is only mostly going after immigrants that are only in one place, the allegedled undocumented or illegals, are probably not going to be working in such public areas.
For those who were curious, "home" means South Korea, not their homes they made in the US.
Also there's this:
Lee’s government even promised at least $50bn of investments during his recent meeting with Trump, a gesture that resulted only in a “crackdown” against South Korean citizens.
CBS, are you paying attention? Probably not.
- Yeah, honestly, Trumpian fascism will only make China look good in the eyes of many. Recent surveys in Europe already showed more favourable view towards China than US as Trump regime unravels. South Korea and Europe might invest on China instead.
  I have already said it months ago that China will use the Trump shenanigans as PR coup. Beijing is already offering itself as the more reliable free trade partner than the US.
  
  I would be a little bit surprised if the people in charge of high-level trade are that simple-minded.
  China was already a great reliable trade partner. They have other issues as does any nation, but attractiveness for trade wasn't really one of them, they were already pretty bangin' in that regard, and the US losing its status as a good investment doesn't suddenly mean that Chinese markets will become always a safe investment by default. I feel like these narratives like "trade relations = loyalty and friendship, there can be only one favorite nation-crush" are sort of for public consumption.
- time to rescind that 50bn.
This is a way to hurt Teslas competition. Nothing else.
- I still wouldn't buy a tesla. Even if it were the last available vehicle to purchase in North America. I'd rather walk everywhere
  
  I've gotten along all my life without driving. There's disadvantages, of course, but there are also advantages like not having to worry about finding a parking space
Yeah I would leave dealing with that bs. Boycott the US!
Wow, they're not being deported to South Sudan!? Time to give Trump that Nobel Peace prize!
I’m waiting for Hyundai to close the doors while they sort out specialized skilled labour issues.
Just like Southpark...
So instead of employing Americans through moving production to the US, they just imported Koreans lol.
Oh. I should really read articles from time to time. I have seen this through headlines and always assumed it was about the country of Georgia, not the state in the USA.

41 comments

Yes.