By Steven Symes 
New details have emerged from the ICE raid that went down at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing complex last week. That information sure doesn’t make the Korean automaker look good in the least. It comes after Hyundai has worked so hard to look like it’s pouring serious resources into the US economy, undoing at least a good portion of that image building.
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During the raid, which was at the battery plant under construction, ICE agents arrested 475 illegal immigrants. Out of those, over 300 were South Koreans. It seems like more than coincidence that in Georgia there would be that many from South Korea working at a South Korean business.
There are accusations flying around all over the place now. We can’t be sure which are true and which aren’t but regardless they’re doing considerable damage to Hyundai’s reputation.
Among them is the accusation the automaker helped get the workers to the US by abusing B-1/B-2 business tourist visas. By having staffing firms that were hired by the automaker to bring the South Koreans over, the company allegedly insulated itself from the practice.
That’s troubling since the battery plant received a number of taxpayer-financed incentives with the idea it would involve employing American workers and stimulate the economy. Instead, it seems Hyundai took the money, then brought over its own people to build the site.
Others have accused Hyundai of paying those foreign workers little and having them stay in impoverished conditions, likening the practice to borderline slave labor. The practice is called “airport migrants” and certain foreign automakers as well as other companies have been accused of doing the same thing.
But Hyundai allegedly is one of the worst offenders.
That would explain how the automaker’s operations in Alabama were employing underage, illegal workers. That was also allegedly done through staffing agencies.
All that talk of investing in America by Hyundai rings more hollow with this latest ICE raid. The automaker needs to come clean and set things straight, or at least the market will bring consequences of its own.
Image via Hyundai