President Donald Trump told foreign investors to respect U.S. laws after hundreds of South Korean nationals were arrested during an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai–LG electric vehicle battery construction site in Georgia this week.
Why It Matters
The raid on the Hyundai-LG plant on Thursday has raised questions about how multinational investments will be staffed amid tighter visa rules and heightened immigration enforcement.
The Trump administration is hoping that foreign companies will move their overseas operations to the U.S. and boost investment and jobs in response to his tariff policy.
What To Know
Trump said the U.S. welcomed foreign investment but companies should bring people in legally.
“Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers,” he said.
U.S. immigration agents arrested 475 people at the Ellabell, Georgia, construction site on Thursday. At least 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, their foreign ministry said.
Hyundai said it believed none of its direct employees were among those detained and said it was reviewing its practices to ensure legal compliance by contractors and subcontractors.
U.S. officials described the operation as the largest single-site enforcement action in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) history and said those detained were in the U.S. illegally or working without authorization.
Seoul said it would send a chartered plane once remaining administrative steps were cleared and pledged to review visa procedures for business trips tied to large investment projects.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to fly to the U.S. on Monday to meet officials and finalize arrangements for the return of the South Korean citizens, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Trump on Sunday brushed off any suggestion the raid could damage relations with Asia’s fourth-largest economy and an important security ally where some 28,000 U.S. troops are based.
“We have a great relationship with South Korea, really good relationship,” Trump told reporters.
The immigration operation followed a months-long investigation into alleged illegal hiring practices at the Hyundai site. According to court records cited by The Associated Press, U.S. prosecutors said they have not yet determined which company or contractor hired “hundreds of illegal aliens.”
Some of the detainees had entered the country unlawfully, while others arrived on temporary visas or through a waiver program that does not allow employment, according to Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, referring to the need for some foreign help for U.S. industry, told reporters on Sunday: “When they’re building batteries … if you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along and let some people come in and train our people to do complex things, whether it’s battery manufacturing or computer manufacturing or building ships.”
Trump, addressing potential foreign investors in his Truth Social post: “Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before.”
The nonprofit legal advocacy organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta in a statement said: “Our communities know the workers targeted at Hyundai are everyday people who are trying to feed their families, build stronger communities, and work toward a better future.”
What Happens Next
South Korea promised to review business-visa procedures for investment-related trips with the aim of preventing the recurrence of such an incident.
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