More than 300 South Korean workers were detained in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US state of Georgia. All these workers have now arrived back home, and their return comes as the country’s president and Hyundai chief executive have warned about the impact of the raid.
A chartered Korean Air jet carried the workers and 14 non-Korean civilians who were also detained in the raid. The plane took off from Atlanta at midday local time on Thursday. As per international media reports, one South Korean national has reportedly chosen to stay in the US to seek permanent residency. The workers’ departure was delayed by more than a day because of various instructions from the White House. South Korean president Lee Jae-myung said on Thursday that Trump ordered the pause to check whether the workers were willing to remain in the US to continue working and training Americans.
“I am back. I am free,” said one of the workers who returned home. Most of the workers coming back looked happy but tired as they were brought through Incheon International Airport and were lodged into buses to reunite with their families. A large group of journalists also gathered at the airport ahead of the workers’ arrival on Friday.
However, there were a few people unhappy with the raid who were also present during the return. One of them held up a banner showing Trump in the uniform of an immigration agent, with a caption that read, “We are friends, aren’t we?” Another banner read, “Public outrage over detention of 300 Koreans shackled up and treated like major criminals! Why shall we continue US investment after such backstabbing?”
The returning workers have requested some privacy, and so the South Korean foreign ministry advised media outlets on Friday to blur any photographs or videos of the workers. Security at the airport was also tight, with officers directing other travellers to use gates not used by the returning workers.
Immigration Raids in US
In another similar incident last week, US officials detained 475 people, more than 300 of them South Korean nationals. All were detained on the grounds that they were working illegally at a Hyundai battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in Georgia. The workers were taken off in handcuffs and chains to be detained, sparking massive outrage in their home country. Because of such instances, companies will be very hesitant about investing in the US, as also stated by the South Korean president.
“The situation is extremely bewildering… If that is no longer allowed, establishing manufacturing facilities in the US will only become more difficult… making companies question whether it’s worth doing at all,” said the South Korean president, noting that it is common practice for Korean firms to send workers to help set up overseas factories.
Meanwhile, Hyundai chief executive Jose Muñoz said that the raid will delay the factory’s opening by at least two months, as the company now needs to find new workers to complete the job. The executive director also told US media that the raid will create a minimum two-to-three-month delay.
South Korea has been a close ally of the US and has pledged to invest tens of billions of dollars in America. Many describe this incident as a shock. The timing of the raid is very critical, as the two countries were engaging in sensitive trade talks. The White House has defended this operation at the Hyundai plant as an important step, countering concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment. US president Donald Trump said on Sunday that the raid will motivate foreign companies to hire more Americans.
This incident has shaken ties between the US and South Korea, a country that was investing billions in the United States.