Savannah Tourism Leader addresses fears over Hyundai megasite’s effect on hospitality, manufacturing industries

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Questions are being raised in Savannah about the impact recent immigration enforcement actions could have on the hospitality and manufacturing industries.

Following last week’s ICE raid at the Hyundai megasite in Bryan County, which led to the arrest of 475 people, rumors began to spread about possible additional raids in Savannah.

SEE: ‘The largest single-site operation in history’: HSI, ICE reveals number of Hyundai megasite arrests

Michael Owens, President and CEO of the Savannah Tourism Leadership Council, says he immediately received calls and text messages from concerned business owners.

“I got a couple of text messages that there were raids happening downtown,” Owens said. He emphasized those rumors were not true.

Owens explained that businesses in Savannah’s hospitality and tourism sectors take steps to comply with hiring laws.

Georgia requires the use of E-Verify, and Owens said many local employers go further by auditing their contractors.

“Every single person that I’ve spoken to in the last couple of months and then again last week and over the weekend, they have in their contract that they require [E-Verify],” Owens said. “And a lot of them audit that with their contractors. Folks realize that if something happens, even if it’s a third party, you’ll take some responsibility and accountability.”

Because of these safeguards, Owens believes raids like the one in Bryan County are less likely to occur in Savannah.

Still, he points to a resource his organization released earlier this year: a guide for businesses on what to expect during immigration enforcement actions.

The guide outlines what employers should know about their rights, their employees’ rights, and the potential processes they could face.

However, Owens stresses that it is only a guide, not legal advice, and it does not override company policies or state and federal law.

Despite fears that immigration enforcement could discourage workers from showing up, Owens says that hasn’t been the case locally.

“We’ve had no callouts," he said. “There was this fear that when something was happening so hyperlocal that there was a family member of somebody working at one of the local restaurants, they would stay at home. That did not happen. It may have happened, we haven’t heard about it."

Owens says his organization will continue working closely with local businesses to ensure they remain in compliance while supporting Savannah’s workforce.