On the 4th (local time), U.S. immigration authorities launched a major crackdown at the construction site of a joint battery factory of Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, detaining over 300 Korean employees who did not have valid work visas.
Afterward, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released crackdown footage, prompting criticism that they treated 'our citizens who went to work as criminals.' The Korean workers were not criminals, as they simply lacked work visas, yet they were handcuffed and shackled on their feet. Such methods of search have sparked controversy even within the United States.
◇Use of handcuffs and shackles... Chains wrapped around the waist and secured to the hands were also used
The 2 minute and 34 second crackdown video posted on the ICE website on the 8th shows scenes of Korean employees being detained. ICE agents first made the Korean workers raise their hands above their heads before conducting a body search. The ICE agents then proceeded to handcuff the workers one by one.
ICE agents shackled the ankles of the Korean workers. They could walk but were unable to run. Additionally, a method was used where a chain was wrapped around their waist, and handcuffs were applied to both hands. In this condition, the Korean workers were loaded onto a bus and sent to a detention facility.
The equipment that ICE can legally use includes shackles, among others. ICE's manual on 'Use of Force and Detention Equipment' specifies approved detention devices including ▲ handcuffs ▲ leg irons ▲ martin chain ▲ waist or belly chain. Using chains that wrap around a detainee's waist or belly in conjunction with handcuffs and leg irons can tighten the detainee's hands and feet closer to their body. It is said to be effective in preventing resistance or disturbances during transportation.
◇Use of handcuffs and shackles for 40 hours during the deportation of 104 Indians in February this year
It appears that the United States generally uses handcuffs and shackles when cracking down on and deporting illegal immigrants. U.S. immigration authorities sent 104 illegal immigrants from India back to New Delhi in February.
They had to remain handcuffed and shackled for 40 hours until they arrived in India after boarding a military transport plane. They were not released even when refueling in Guam. However, the Indian Foreign Minister noted in response to the 'human rights violation' controversy that 'the use of detention devices is specified in the standard procedure for deportations using ICE's aircraft.'
In the past, disturbances occurred without handcuffs and shackles being applied. In September 2021, during the Biden administration, when 15,000 Haitians were deported on a chartered passenger plane, they broke the overhead luggage compartment doors and tore apart seat cushions, destroying everything they could. After landing in Haiti, when another passenger plane carrying illegal immigrants arrived, they assaulted the pilot and attempted to hijack the aircraft, demanding to be sent back to the United States.
However, the New York Post reported, 'Recently, progressives have expressed outrage over the failure to remove handcuffs and shackles from illegal immigrants when they return home under former President Donald Trump's border policies.'
◇Korea: 'The use of shackles is not permitted in the crackdown on illegal aliens'
Although Korea also conducts crackdowns on illegal aliens, shackles are not used. According to the 'Procedural and Human Rights Protection Guidelines for Immigration Offender Crackdowns,' our government officials may use only handcuffs, ropes, and head protection equipment. Shackles are not included in the list of permissible equipment. In practice, there are many instances where handcuffs are not applied.
A lawyer qualified in the U.S. remarked, 'The physical means employed by public authority can vary significantly by country,' but noted that, 'there may be various issues regarding the use of excessive means compared to the allegations.'