Trump calls workers arrested at S. Korean battery plant site 'illegal aliens'

Washington, Sep 6 US President Donald Trump has described hundreds of workers arrested in this week's raid at a South Korean plant construction site in Georgia as "illegal aliens," stressing that immigration officials were "just doing their job."

Trump made the remarks during a press availability after U.S. authorities confirmed that Thursday's raid at the electric vehicle battery construction site -- operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd. in Bryan County -- resulted in the arrest of 475 people, a "majority" of them South Koreans, reports Yonhap news agency.

"I just heard about that a little while before the news conference," Trump said at the White House, responding to a reporter's question about the raid as part of his administration's immigration crackdown.

"I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job," he added, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

During a press conference, Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations for Georgia, confirmed that the workers were arrested at the site during the execution of a search warrant as part of a criminal probe into allegations of "unlawful employment practices and serious federal crimes."

"The investigation resulted in the arrest of 475 individuals and is focused on ensuring accountability for those who violate the law, and upholding the rule of law," he said.

A diplomatic source in Seoul said that of the total, more than 300 workers are South Korean nationals.

Schrank said that the 475 people were illegally present in the United States, including some who illegally crossed the border into the U.S.; some who came in through a visa waiver program that prohibits them from working; and some who had overstayed their visas.

Those taken into custody include subcontractors working for a variety of different companies, the official said, noting that those who were illegally in the U.S. are in the custody of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Most of those arrested were brought to the Folkston Immigration Detention Center in Folkston, Georgia on Thursday night. They will be moved based on their individual circumstances, the official said.

Asked if there was any injury reported during the raid, the authorities said that there was no "substantial use of force," and that there were no injuries reported other than an individual who was "overheating" and one agent who suffered a minor laceration.

The authorities cast the raid as "the largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations."

In a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia noted that during the search warrant execution, several people attempted to flee the location.

"A handful of people ran into a sewage pond located on the premises. Agents used a boat to fish them out of the water," it said. "One of the individuals swam under the boat and tried to flip it over to no avail. These people were captured and identified as illegal workers."

U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap said in the release, "The goal of this operation is to reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorized workers. Another goal is to protect unauthorized workers from exploitation."

The office pointed out that "all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

South Korea's foreign ministry has voiced "concern and regret" over the raid, saying that the people's rights must not be unfairly infringed upon.

Hyundai Motor America said based on its current understanding, none of those detained are directly employed by Hyundai Motor.

"Hyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate. This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws," it said in a statement.

The company said it will conduct an investigation to ensure all suppliers and their subcontractors comply with all laws and regulations, stressing that it has zero tolerance for those that do not follow the law.

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