Sheinbaum confirms the detention of 23 Mexicans in raid on Georgia vehicle plant
The Mexican president assured that the consulates have the instruction to establish contact with those affected by the raids in the US.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed this Monday that 23 Mexicans were detained in Georgia, during a raid on the automotive plant of the South Korean company Hyundai in that southeastern state of the neighboring country.
“We were informed that as of the latest raid, 23 Mexicans were detained in Georgia, at this automotive plant. Thirteen of them requested consular support, ten did not request consular support,” the president stated during her morning press conference.
She affirmed that, in these cases, the consulates have the instruction to immediately request information from the US authorities and go to the detention centers to establish contact with those affected and their families.
“The consulates are attentive and alert to be able to support all of our countrymen,” she noted.
Sheinbaum also clarified that there will be no shortage of resources for the consulates, with the aim of helping compatriots with the hiring of lawyers or agencies.
She also added that 19 more Mexicans are still detained in Florida, in the immigration detention center known as Alcatraz of the Alligators.
He indicated that all nationals who are being detained in the United States have the right to request consular support, although, he said, not all do so or are unaware of it.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported that on Thursday the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE/HSI) carried out an immigration operation in Ellabell, Georgia, where they detained at least 475 workers from a Hyundai plant, in which the South Korean and Hispanic immigrant communities were the most affected.
Videos on social media showed surprised workers and others running, and some apparently hiding in pipelines or nearby wooded areas after U.S. authorities raided the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America facility near Savannah, where they manufacture electric vehicles.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry noted that the Mexican Consulate General in Atlanta "maintains permanent contact with the responsible U.S. authorities."
Authorities participating in the raid, led by ICE and HSI's Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said those detained included undocumented workers and South Korean employees who were in the United States for work-related reasons. It was not specified whether their immigration status was irregular.