U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has formalized a "zero tolerance" principle that anyone who is undocumented (an illegal immigrant), regardless of criminal history, is subject to arrest and deportation. It also suggested that the recent operation at a Hyundai Motor Group plant in Georgia, where about 300 Koreans were arrested, was a "collateral" arrest under this principle. Even as analyses say immigrants are driving Georgia's economic growth, the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policy is gaining speed, and immigrants, including the local Korean community, are facing mounting psychological and economic pressure.
On the 23rd (local time), ICE Georgia spokesperson Lindsay Williams clearly outlined the tougher enforcement standards in an interview with the local outlet the Savannah Morning News. Williams said, "If you are simply in the United States illegally, you will be subject to arrest and removal proceedings if encountered by ICE, regardless of whether you are a valedictorian, a doctor, or a lawyer."
This is a complete break from the previous stance of prioritizing undocumented immigrants with "serious criminal" records, declaring that immigration status itself will be the sole criterion for enforcement. According to the nonprofit news outlet the Marshall Project, two-thirds of the 120,000 people ICE arrested from January to May this year had no criminal record.
This stance became reality at the 4th when agents raided the construction site of the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant. The warrant at the time named four targets. However, the vast majority of the 475 people arrested on site were "collateral encounters" unrelated to the warrant. Spokesperson Williams acknowledged a "sweep," saying, "We are not going to look the other way when we encounter other people."
ICE's zero tolerance principle directly clashes with Georgia's economic reality. According to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, the 1.3 million immigrants living in Georgia account for about 15% of all jobs in the state. They mainly work in construction, agriculture, and forestry and help resolve chronic labor shortages. In Georgia, where large-scale projects like the Hyundai plant are underway, immigrant labor is essential.
Daniela Rodriguez, head of a nonprofit for immigrants, said, "Large-scale construction projects are underway across Georgia's industrial hubs," adding, "The people building hotels, working in restaurants, and cleaning hotels are all immigrants." Some analyses say Georgia could lose about $929 million (about 1.28 trillion won) in tax revenue if they are deported. Critics say the state is in a paradoxical situation where it relies on immigrants for its economy while weeding them out.
The tougher enforcement is driving immigrant communities into fear. From January to July this year, 124 people were detained by ICE in Chatham County, Georgia, far exceeding last year's total of 35 detainees by more than threefold.
Georgia's Hispanic community canceled its annual Hispanic Heritage Festival over concerns about ICE enforcement. Local nonprofits are receiving 15 to 20 calls a day requesting help, seven times more than before. Citing an official, the Savannah Morning News reported, "It is often the primary breadwinner who is arrested," and "Families left behind are requesting basic necessities like food and diapers."
The fear has reached children. A civic group official told the Savannah Morning News that "there were cases where a 15-year-old and a sixth-grader who were bullied and threatened by classmates saying, 'We will report your family to ICE,' attempted extreme actions." A Georgia Christian group official said in an interview, "Innocent people are suffering because of wrongdoers," adding, "Neither the state government nor others have the right to trample on an individual's dignity."