[Anchor]
South Korean workers who were arrested at a battery plant construction site in Georgia, U.S., a year ago have initiated legal action to seek damages against the Trump administration. They argue that the U.S. immigration authorities' arrests and detentions were illegal and caused severe economic and psychological suffering.
Reporter Jeon Hyeong-u has the details.
[Reporter]
On September 4 of last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a sudden raid on the construction site of a joint venture battery plant between Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution in Georgia.
A total of 475 workers were arrested and detained, more than 300 of whom were South Korean.
Controversy over human rights violations arose after footage was released showing armed immigration agents arresting South Korean workers while binding them with handcuffs and leg irons.
[Colleague of Detained South Korean Worker (September of last year): They say they get meals like a piece of bread, two boiled eggs, and potato chips served three times a day. They wear tan prison uniforms; it's just a prison, just a prison.]
CNN reported that around 300 South Korean workers who were detained at the time have taken legal action against the Donald Trump administration.
A Korean-American attorney in Georgia representing them stated that they have begun filing administrative claims, which serve as a preliminary step before filing a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government.
They plan to complete the submission of administrative claims against nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice, by the end of this year.
The claims reportedly state that the South Korean workers suffered property confiscation, lost wages, and psychological distress due to unlawful imprisonment, and are demanding compensation from the U.S. government.
In response to these claims, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated, "We executed the search warrant as part of an investigation into illegal employment practices and serious criminal allegations," while U.S. Customs and Border Protection referred to materials stating, "They were found to be working illegally in violation of the conditions of their stay."
(Video Editing: Kim Jong-mi)
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