Lawmakers raise concerns after ICE raid delays Hyundai plant project

Georgia's ICE raid fallout

Hundreds of Korean nationals are back home after being detained at a federal facility in South Georgia for nearly a week, but some Georgia lawmakers warn the fallout could hurt the state’s economy.

ATLANTA - Hundreds of Korean nationals are back home after being detained at a federal facility in South Georgia for nearly a week, but some Georgia lawmakers warn the fallout could hurt the state’s economy.

The workers were taken into custody last week during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a Hyundai battery plant under construction. Hyundai officials said the action set the project back two to three months.

Immigration debate in Georgia

What they're saying:

State Rep. Dexter Sharper, a Democrat from Valdosta, said the incident could send the wrong message to foreign companies looking to do business in Georgia.

"I'm all for upholding the law, but it doesn't look good when a raid like this happens in Georgia, and we are the number one place to do business," Sharper said.

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He urged Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special session to strengthen coordination with ICE and the federal government and to create safeguards to prevent similar disruptions.

"And with foreign companies of this magnitude, global companies wanting to come here, we can't have this happening on a regular basis because you're going to have other countries say, you know what, I'm not going to Georgia," Sharper said.

Fallout after ICE raids Georgia Hyundai plant

Hundreds of Korean nationals are back home after being detained at an ice facility in South Georgia for nearly a week but there is growing concern over the impact the federal action could have on Georgia’s economy.

Proposed legislation on foreign workers

What's next:

To address the issue, Sharper supports developing a program through the state Labor Department to verify that foreign workers are properly documented before stepping onto job sites. He believes the plan could be implemented without passing new laws.

"As Georgia Department of Labor, we can do something to make sure compliance is being met because these companies are in Georgia, so I'm trying to get us together to see what we need to do and how we need to do it," Sharper said.

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Bipartisan immigration efforts

The other side:

Both Democrats and Republicans have stressed the need to enforce federal immigration laws while maintaining Georgia’s reputation as a top destination for international business.