Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has courted foreign investment to his state and has also talked so tough about immigration he once offered to use his own pickup truck to round up “criminal illegals.” Those key issues collided this past week when immigration authorities raided a battery plant and detained foreign workers, putting Kemp in a tough spot. Can he be both tough on immigration and encourage foreign companies to invest?
Some 475 people were detained in the raid, including more than 300 South Koreans, at the construction site for a battery plant that will be operated by HL-GA Battery Co., a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution slated to open next year. The battery plant is part of a $7.6 billion complex planned to eventually employ 8,500 people. It was announced and then expanded after trips by Kemp to South Korea to court officials at Hyundai and other firms.
