Washington, DC, September 5 – September 4, several state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted a drastic migrant raid at the Hyundai plant in southeastern Georgia. The attack reportedly contained at least 475 workers, many of whom are Korean citizens and some of whom have legal status. This is the biggest raid ever made in recent history on a single worksite.
In response, the American Council on Immigration issued the following commentary:
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the process of doing things,” said Michel Lapointe, legal director for the American Council of Immigration, based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. “This historic raid may make dramatic headlines, but it does nothing to solve the problems of our broken immigration system. It has a false focus on the lack of legal pathways and punishing workers and families that do not pose a threat to our communities. The raid labour scene is not reform, it is a political theatre at the expense of our families, our communities and our economy.”
“Million workers are the backbone of our economy, filling the significant labor gap between manufacturing and the rest of the world. Nationwide, 5.7% of manufacturing workers are undocumented. Here in Georgia, it makes up 6.7% of that workforce. Instead of pinning the workplace in the attack to legal employment, it’s cruel, wasted and delve into. Nan Wu, director of research at the U.S. Council of Immigration, said:
Council experts can discuss why workplace raids are counterproductive and harmful, and why it appears to be a smarter, more effective immigration solution.
