by Key Highlights of the Incident
Event Details
At the end of last week, US immigration services conducted a raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, detaining 475 individuals whom they called ‘illegal immigrants.’ As it turned out, about 300 of them were citizens of South Korea, and the governments of both countries have agreed on their repatriation.
According to ICE representatives, many of the detainees were working illegally; some were using short-term or tourist visas that do not permit employment. Steven Schrank from the Office of National Security added that some workers had illegally crossed the US border, while others had overstayed their visas.
We welcome all companies that want to invest in the USA, and if they need to attract workers for construction or other projects, that’s fine – but they must do it legally. This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable.
Reaction from Governments and Companies
Lee Jae-myung’s Chief of Staff, Kang Hun-sik, reported that the government is organizing a charter flight to return the workers. He emphasized that the rights of South Korean citizens and the economic activities of Hyundai and other Korean companies should not be unfairly violated during law enforcement procedures.
In response to the ICE raid, South Korea announced plans to strengthen its visa system for citizens traveling to the USA for business purposes, especially for significant investment projects such as the Hyundai joint venture with LG Energy Solution in Georgia.
LG Energy Solution reported that approximately 47 of its 250 contract employees at the site were detained. The company asked its South Korean employees to return from business trips to the USA after the ICE raid.
Scale and Consequences
The operation at the Hyundai plant became the largest law enforcement action in the history of the US Department of Homeland Security. According to NPR, most of the detainees were transported to an immigration center in Folkston, Georgia. As of Friday, none of them had been charged with crimes.
This event highlights the complexity of international labor laws and affects business relations between countries. South Korea has already announced changes to its visa policy, which may promote more transparent and legal employment abroad in the future. Such developments may also encourage investors to more carefully comply with local regulations when implementing large projects.
