On the 5th (local time), U.S. authorities announced that they arrested 475 individuals during an operation to crack down on illegal immigrants at the construction site of a joint battery plant by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, many of whom are South Korean nationals.
Steven Schrank, a special investigator for the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in charge of Georgia and Alabama, noted during a briefing that "yesterday, HSI executed a search warrant in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation into illegal employment practices and serious federal criminal offenses in collaboration with law enforcement agencies."
He added, "As a result of this investigation, 475 individuals were arrested, and we are focusing on holding violators accountable and establishing the rule of law."
He explained, "Among the 475 individuals, many were South Korean nationals," adding, "There are no exact statistics by nationality, but we expect to secure relevant data soon."
Special Investigator Schrank further stated that the 475 individuals arrested were "illegally residing in the United States or working illegally while violating their residency status."
On the previous day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched a major crackdown on illegal immigrants at the construction site of the joint battery plant (HL-GA Battery Company) by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Savannah, Georgia. It is reported that about 300 of those arrested were South Koreans.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea expressed regret over U.S. authorities' crackdown on local factories of Korean corporations, stating that the rights of our citizens must not be unjustly infringed. Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-yong remarked, "The economic activities of our investing companies and the rights of our citizens must not be unjustly violated in the course of U.S. law enforcement."