LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Between May and July, 148 workers at GE Appliance Park in Louisville were informed by the government that changes to their immigration status made them ineligible to continue working in the U.S.
Dino Driskell, president of IUE-CWA Local 83761, said some affected employees are union members. He and other union leaders are actively working to support them during this difficult time.
“A lot of them have sponsors here that they had before they even came here,” Driskell said. “They’re following proper procedures, getting work authorization, and yet recently, many have had that revoked.”
The union is collaborating with state and national AFL-CIO chapters to connect impacted members with immigration attorneys. This effort has helped reclassify some workers, allowing 11 employees to return to work so far.
“Fortunately, we have an agreement with the company,” Driskell said. “If their work status is reinstated, we can get them back into orientation and back on the job.”
GE Appliances told WHAS11, “We worked, along with the union, to ensure impacted employees understood the situation and any necessary actions to maintain and update work authorizations.” The company noted that recent overtime at AP1 is driven by increased consumer demand for laundry products, not layoffs. GE also continues to hire additional workers and maintain a buffer workforce to cover absences and ensure steady production.
Personal Toll for One Family
The immigration crackdown has deeply affected Jose Galo, a naturalized U.S. citizen and member of United Steelworkers Local 1693. Galo, originally from Honduras, had built a life in Eminence, Kentucky, but it was disrupted this year.
His wife, Karla Medina, who entered the U.S. in 2019 while pregnant, was detained and released while pursuing citizenship. In June, after a scheduled check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Medina was detained at Grayson County Detention Center and deported to Honduras, along with their U.S.-born son, Jose Gabriel Galo Medina.
“They don’t know what I’m feeling,” Galo said. “I’m used to coming home to my baby and my wife, and now I don’t have them anymore.”
Hope Amid Uncertainty
Galo is receiving support from his union’s legal team, but the emotional impact remains severe. Despite years of working toward U.S. citizenship, he says he no longer feels proud to be an American.
“With everything going on, I don’t see a better life for me,” Galo said. “Half of my life, my family is over there in Honduras, and I’m here by myself.”
He hopes the legal process will eventually reunite his family so they can return to Kentucky and continue building their life together.
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