Hyundai Motors announced on Friday that it will investigate the employment practices of its suppliers and subcontractors after US immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean workers at the construction site of their car battery facility in Georgia.
"We take our responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously, and incidents like this remind us of the importance of robust oversight throughout our entire supply chain and contractor network," the company said in a statement.
While the South Korean carmaker stated that none of those detained were employed directly by the company, approximately 170 subcontracted employees, including both Korean and local workers, are reportedly being held by US law enforcement.
An estimated 500 investigators from various US government agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, raided the HL-GA Battery Co. site and detained 475 people for allegedly unauthorized work on Thursday.
The facility, located at Hyundai Motor Group Meta Plant America in southeastern Georgia, is a joint venture between Hyundai Motors and LG Energy Solution and is one of the largest South Korean investments in the US.
While the US government has yet to specify the grounds for the detentions, industry observers believe the raid may be focused on workers using the Visa Waiver Program, which permits 90-day stays in the country, and the B1 business and B2 tourist visas, which are valid for up to six months. These permits do not allow for paid labor that could be interpreted as employment.
LG Energy said on Saturday that 47 of its employees were detained, with nearly all but one being Korean nationals. Another 250 personnel from “equipment partner companies”, most of them Korean, were also in custody.
The battery maker also suspended planned US business trips and advised employees with B1 and B2 visa holders in the US to remain at their residences and those with visa waivers to return to South Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s office told reporters on Sunday that the South Korean detainees will return home on a chartered flight.
“Negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded,” a presidential spokesperson said. “Once the procedures are complete, the chartered plane will depart to bring our citizens.”
The spokesperson added that the South Korean government will “push forward measures to review and improve the residency status and visa system for personnel traveling to the United States.”