‘Free at last’: Korean workers greet families, recount ICE ordeal

INCHEON, September 15 ------ Eight days since being taken into custody during a US immigration crackdown in Georgia, 316 South Korean workers stepped foot on home soil, waving, bowing, and making thumbs up gestures to the press and crowd as bystanders applauded their safe arrival.

Wearing casual clothes and masks, many of the returning workers were seen switching on their phones as they disembarked to inform their loved ones of their safe arrival. Emotional family reunions were also observed, as family members embraced each other in the airport parking lot and broke down in tears to celebrate the long-awaited reunion.

Leaving the airport, one worker was spotted shouting, “Back home! Free at last!” holding his arms up in the air. Many thanked the bystanders, congratulating their arrival, saying that they were “very happy.”

When asked how he felt once being taken into custody, 43-year-old Jang Young-sun, who was working as a facilities engineer at the Hyundai-LG plant construction site where the raid took place, said he was “taken aback” by the US authorities’ actions. “We were told that a crackdown may take place in the morning, but we didn’t think much of it because we didn’t think we had any problems with our visa,” Jang told the press upon arrival, who held a B-1 temporary visitor visa as he worked and resided in the US. “Suddenly, at some point, people were being taken away without any explanation. We were only made aware of what was going on after we met the lawyers and consular officials.”

Recalling his experience inside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Folkston, Georgia, 42-year-old Cho Young-hwi, another engineer, told the press that he felt his basic rights were not guaranteed. “The difficult part about staying at the facility was both the food and the fact that there was no privacy guaranteed,” said Cho. “Two people were using one room together, and the toilet was right next to where we were sleeping. Having to use the bathroom in an open space like that felt like a violation of basic rights.”

Source: inquirer.net