My understanding is that the illegals were subcontracted by the firm tasked to build the battery facility. That is not to say that Hyundai was not aware of how the process worked, but they were not in direct control of the construction project - plausible deniability. China does it all the time under BRI - all materials and labor end up being imported and someone else gets stuck with the bill. Responsibility is hidden beneath multiple layers of subcontractors and money ends up flowing back into the economies of the builder and not the host country. China calls that win win - they win twice.
I heard that American construction workers were completely muscled out of the work after being promised jobs. The state also has some responsibility here for not protecting American jobs. With getting more foreign investment brought to the US there also needs to be requirements that the bulk of the jobs actually go to Americans or we will see more of this. I hope that this raid brings some change on how we allow foreign investment into the US and more restrictions of visa entry that companies abuse to bypass American workers.
I wonder if the reason the FEDs got wind of this project is because American workers were complaining about being shut out of jobs in favor of imported labor through abusing the visa system. This is not just a US problem, but it is international. Imported labor comes in under tourist or business travel visas. Neither avenue gives someone the right to work in the US. I just hope the opportunity to shed light on this practice of imported labor is not wasted. Corporations have been getting away with this for decades. Georgia needs to step up and do the right thing.
All I know is that the matter somehow got the attention of the Administration. From what I understand it was an investigation that led to the raid - it was not random but targeted. We shall see if there are others in the crosshairs. At the very least, it should put employers on notice.
My understanding is that the illegals were subcontracted by the firm tasked to build the battery facility. That is not to say that Hyundai was not aware of how the process worked, but they were not in direct control of the construction project - plausible deniability. China does it all the time under BRI - all materials and labor end up being imported and someone else gets stuck with the bill. Responsibility is hidden beneath multiple layers of subcontractors and money ends up flowing back into the economies of the builder and not the host country. China calls that win win - they win twice.
I heard that American construction workers were completely muscled out of the work after being promised jobs. The state also has some responsibility here for not protecting American jobs. With getting more foreign investment brought to the US there also needs to be requirements that the bulk of the jobs actually go to Americans or we will see more of this. I hope that this raid brings some change on how we allow foreign investment into the US and more restrictions of visa entry that companies abuse to bypass American workers.
I wonder if the reason the FEDs got wind of this project is because American workers were complaining about being shut out of jobs in favor of imported labor through abusing the visa system. This is not just a US problem, but it is international. Imported labor comes in under tourist or business travel visas. Neither avenue gives someone the right to work in the US. I just hope the opportunity to shed light on this practice of imported labor is not wasted. Corporations have been getting away with this for decades. Georgia needs to step up and do the right thing.
All I know is that the matter somehow got the attention of the Administration. From what I understand it was an investigation that led to the raid - it was not random but targeted. We shall see if there are others in the crosshairs. At the very least, it should put employers on notice.