Approximately 300 South Korean workers detained in a large immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia will be released and flown home, according to Seoul. The operation, which took place on Thursday in the city of Ellabell, resulted in the arrest of nearly 500 workers, including at least 300 South Koreans and 23 Mexicans.
The US Department of Homeland Security described it as the largest single-site immigration operation in its history. The incident has strained relations between Washington and Seoul, with South Korea’s first vice-foreign minister, Park Yoon-joo, reportedly telling US Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker that the raid was lamentable at a critical time for bilateral trust and cooperation.
Former President Donald Trump, when asked about the raid, said that the workers were “illegal aliens” and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was “just doing its job.” The statement has drawn criticism and may further complicate diplomatic ties.
