A lawsuit is alleging that a Fremont battery company with ties to China called non-Chinese staff “foreigners,” using unauthorized Chinese workers on B-1 visas, and flying in a Chinese lawyer who's unlicensed in the US to advise on bringing in more illegal hires.
As Bay Area News Group reports, the lawsuit was filed on June 13 in Alameda County Superior Court, accusing Gotion Inc., a subsidiary of China-based Gotion High-Tech, of keeping a “revolving door” of Chinese citizens working at its lithium-ion battery plant using B-1 business visas, which do not allow employment. The lawsuit also claims that a Gotion High-Tech lawyer from China was brought to the US despite not being authorized to work or practice law here — allegedly to advise Gotion on “how to impermissibly violate US immigration laws.”
Three plaintiffs — Anirban Das, a US citizen of Indian descent, Atul Deshpande, an Indian citizen with a US work authorization, and Betuel Olivares, a Mexican citizen with a work permit — claim they were stripped of job duties and harassed after raising concerns about the violations. One plaintiff alleges a Gotion manager made racist comments toward non-Chinese workers, referring to them as “foreigners.”
According to the lawsuit, when the three plaintiffs met with Gotion management in June 2024 to discuss steps for making the Fremont facility lawful and safe, Gotion supervisor Chen Li told them two of his Chinese deputies would be taking over their work.
Li reportedly said, “It seems that it is unrealistic to expect these old Americans to solve the problem,” along with, “Don’t expect the foreigners to solve the problem because the foreigner doesn’t understand how.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the Fremont facility lacked proper permits and safety features, and that Gotion continued operations after the city posted a “do not enter” notice on the building. A photo included in the complaint, which was also included in the Bay Area News Group article, shows company brochures allegedly taped over the red closure notice.
This is not Gotion’s first US controversy. In Michigan, its $2.3 billion EV battery factory plan near Big Rapids promised over 2,000 jobs but sparked protests over environmental impact and Chinese ownership. Critics dubbed the company a “Communist Trojan horse,” and GOP figures including Donald Trump used the controversy to criticize the Biden administration’s clean energy policies. Despite efforts by Gotion’s US VP Chuck Thelen — who notably ate battery chemicals to prove safety — local opposition stalled the project. Gotion subsequently redirected efforts to a $2 billion Illinois plant with less resistance.
Gotion has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit in Fremont.
Image via Google Maps
