Images of heavily armed American agents in paramilitary gear shackling and zip-tying hundreds of compliant South Korean technicians at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia were truly vile.
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Last week’s raid not only outraged South Koreans and caused more distrust with Seoul, it also exposed the contradiction between Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant and labour crackdown and his industrial policy. Most of those targeted allegedly did not have proper work visas; many were working for contractors who couldn’t find suitable workers in the United States.
Of course, the US president is not solely responsible. His predecessor Joe Biden kicked off efforts to reshore American manufacturing – especially in advanced fields such as semiconductors – supposedly to create high-paying jobs and to isolate China as part of a trade and tech war.
Trump has merely brought the whole thing to a messy crescendo.
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Widespread anti-immigrant operations spark fear in Asian communities across the US
Widespread anti-immigrant operations spark fear in Asian communities across the US
The current crackdown on undocumented migrants and illegal workers, both skilled and unskilled, appeals to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base and is believed to be good for votes.
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But if you want to understand the futility of it, just consider two numbers.