The Foreign Worker Movement Council (FWMC) and other migrant human rights organizations announced on the 8th that they will hold a press conference on the 9th in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, to condemn the large-scale crackdown carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution factories.
The migrant organizations also plan to issue a statement urging the release of local employees on that day. ICE conducted a large-scale crackdown last week at a supplier to Hyundai Motor located in Ellabelle, Georgia, and at the LG factory, arresting 475 workers. About 300 of those arrested are reportedly Korean.
Footage released by ICE showed workers being led away with their hands and feet bound in chains, causing controversy. The migrant human rights organizations claimed that this crackdown constitutes a clear human rights violation, violating Articles 47 and 48 of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules).
It has been reported that the crackdown also included holders of B-1 visas, which allow for short-term stays, leading to criticism of indiscriminate enforcement.
The migrant rights organization stated that this situation originated from a tip-off to ICE by U.S. House of Representatives candidate Tori Branum, who claimed that "Korean corporations are hiring illegal immigrants instead of Americans while enjoying tax benefits."
The currently detained Korean workers are said to be held at the Forkston ICE Processing Center (FIPC), which has faced ongoing human rights violation controversies.
The FWMC pointed out, "This behavior distorts the local contributions of Korean corporations and promotes hate and division," adding, "It is a dangerous distortion that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which has been handling administrative tasks, exercised armed enforcement authority. "
The migrant rights organizations demanded through a statement that: ▲ regret over the sacrifice of Korean corporations and the expatriate community to political interests; ▲ criticism of politically extreme crackdowns using anti-immigrant sentiment; ▲ anger over the contradictory investment demands and worker oppression by the Trump administration; ▲ immediate release from detention due to violations of United Nations norms and calls for preventive measures against recurrence.
The FWMC emphasized, "The U.S. government must stop its contradictory behavior of demanding investment from Korean corporations while simultaneously oppressing Korean workers."