A significant immigration raid occurred at a Hyundai plant in Georgia last week, resulting in the detention of over 300 South Korean nationals. These individuals are scheduled to return home on a chartered Korean Air flight, which took off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Alongside the South Korean detainees, 14 non-Koreans were also on board. It has been reported that one South Korean national opted to remain in the United States to pursue permanent residency.
The departure of the detained workers was postponed by more than a day due to an order from the White House, as stated by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. President Donald Trump had directed this pause to ascertain if any workers intended to stay in the U.S. for continued employment and training purposes. President Lee has expressed concerns that the raid might negatively affect foreign investments in the U.S., particularly noting the implications for Korean companies that traditionally send workers to aid in establishing overseas factories.
In light of the raid, Seoul is currently in negotiations with the U.S. government regarding visa options for South Korean workers. These discussions include seeking higher quotas or developing new visa categories. The South Korean foreign ministry has requested U.S. Congressional support for a new visa tailored for Korean firms, which was echoed during recent meetings with U.S. senators.
Hyundai’s CEO has indicated that the raid will result in delays for the factory’s opening, attributing a minimum of two to three months’ setback to the incident, as many workers detained are essential for installation processes at the site. Initial reports stated that U.S. officials detained a total of 475 individuals at the facility, highlighting that many of the workers had various visa types or were part of a visa waiver program. The raid has raised concerns about the future of U.S.-South Korea economic cooperation, especially amid ongoing trade discussions.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0r434g5k1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss