Thread: South Korea slams U.S. after ICE raid targets Korean workers weeks after trade deal

South Korea slams U.S. after ICE raid targets Korean workers at Hyundai plant weeks after trade deal

09/08/2025 // Cassie B. // 420 Views

Tags: big government, Collapse, economy, geopolitics, Globalism, ICE, ICE raid, Immigration, invasion usa, migrants, national security, pensions, risk, South Korea, supply chain, trade deal, trade wars, Trump, White House

• ICE conducts largest-ever raid at a Georgia Hyundai plant, detaining 475 mostly South Korean workers for visa violations just weeks after a $350 billion U.S.-Korea trade deal.
• South Korea condemns the operation as unjust, demands worker releases, and threatens diplomatic retaliation including visa policy changes.
• Trump defends ICE’s actions, calling detained workers illegal aliens, while critics argue resources should focus on violent criminals instead.
• The raid strains U.S.-South Korea relations, risking future investments and trade agreements amid accusations of unfair targeting.
• Lawmakers and business leaders warn the crackdown undermines trust with a key ally and could deter foreign investment in U.S. industries.

Just two weeks after Presidents Donald Trump and Lee Jae-myung finalized a landmark $350 billion trade deal, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency conducted its largest single-site raid in history, detaining more than 300 South Korean nationals at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia. The move has sparked a diplomatic crisis, with Seoul condemning the operation as an unjust infringement on its citizens and businesses.
The raid, which took place at a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution construction site near Savannah, resulted in the detention of 475 workers, most of them South Korean. Many were visiting on short-term business visas or under the Visa Waiver Program, but ICE determined their activities did not align with their visa status. The crackdown has left Seoul furious, with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun warning that the rights of Korean citizens and investors “must not be unfairly infringed upon.”
President Lee ordered an “all-out response,” including potential high-level trips to Washington for consultations. The South Korean government also dispatched consular officials to the site and chartered a plane to repatriate the detained workers. Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution suspended U.S. business travel and advised employees to return home, signaling broader concerns about Korean investments in America.
A diplomatic misstep at a critical time

The timing of the raid couldn’t be worse. Just weeks earlier, Trump and Lee had celebrated a “full and complete trade deal,” with South Korea pledging massive investments in U.S. industries like electric vehicles and shipbuilding. Now, Seoul is questioning whether American enforcement actions are targeting its businesses unfairly.
“At a time when numerous Korean firms are expanding investment and building factories across the U.S., such mass detentions of workers could pose a serious risk at the national level,” warned Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of South Korea’s opposition People Power Party.
Trump, however, defended the operation, telling reporters, “I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job.” But wouldn't ICE’s resources be better spent targeting violent criminals or drug traffickers rather than foreign workers engaged in business activities?
A broader pattern of enforcement overreach?

The raid has raised questions about whether ICE is prioritizing high-profile operations over meaningful border security. While the agency claims the detentions were necessary due to visa violations, South Korea insists many of those arrested were lawfully present but engaged in work not explicitly permitted under their visa terms.
The fallout has been swift. U.S. lawmakers, including members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, called the raid “deeply alarming,” arguing it undermines trust with key allies. Meanwhile, Hyundai and LG Energy Solution—both major investors in the U.S.—are now reviewing their operations to avoid future legal risks.
What’s next for U.S.-South Korea relations?

With tensions rising, Seoul has made it clear it won’t back down. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun hinted at possible visa policy changes to prevent similar incidents, while LG Energy Solution sent an executive to Georgia to secure the release of its employees.
The bigger question is whether this diplomatic rift will derail the recent trade agreement or deter future Korean investments in America. One thing is certain: If ICE continues targeting workers from allied nations while illegal border crossings remain largely unchecked, the U.S. risks alienating partners it can’t afford to lose.
This incident should serve as a warning. While securing borders is essential, indiscriminate raids on law-abiding foreign workers from a key ally send the wrong message. If the U.S. wants to maintain strong economic and strategic ties with South Korea in the face of rising tensions with China, it must ensure its enforcement actions are fair, targeted, and proportional.
Sources for this article include:
RT.com
TIME.com
Reuters.com
AlJazeera.com

South Korea slams U.S. after ICE raid targets Korean workers at Hyundai plant weeks after trade deal – NaturalNews.com

ICE raids Georgia battery plant, exposing massive VISA FRAUD involving South Koreans

09/11/2025 // Ramon Tomey // 550 Views

Tags: B-1 visa, business, deception, Electronic System for Travel Authorization, foreign labor, Georgia, Hire American, Hyundai, ICE raid, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Korean nationals, legal immigration, LG Energy Solution, migrant labor, migrants, outrage, skilled workers, South Korea, US manufacturing, visa fraud

• More than 400 workers, mostly South Korean nationals, were detained for allegedly violating U.S. visa laws during a raid in Georgia.
• Korean conglomerates use B-1 visas, meant for business visits, to employ workers for paid labor, sidestepping U.S. labor laws.
• The U.S. government is accused of demanding Korean investment while treating essential workers as criminals, creating a two-faced approach.
• The raid casts doubt on political promises of creating American jobs, as the plant's rapid construction relied on foreign labor.
• The incident highlights the tension between investment incentives and immigration enforcement, particularly in the context of labor shortages and technology sharing.

Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a massive raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia. They detained 475 workers, mostly South Korean nationals, for allegedly violating U.S. visa laws.
The raid by immigration agents Thursday, Sept. 4, also exposed what industry insiders call an "open secret." Korean conglomerates routinely exploit business visas to fast-track construction while sidestepping U.S. labor laws. The detained workers were reportedly employed under B-1 visas, which permit business visits but not paid labor, or the Electronic System for Travel Authorization meant for short-term stays.
Industry executives admit these practices have been widespread for years, tacitly tolerated by U.S. authorities eager to accelerate high-tech manufacturing projects.
"The U.S. government is two-faced," said Chang Sang-sik of the Korea International Trade Association. "It demands Korean investment but treats essential workers as criminals."
Ironically, the factory was previously championed by former President Joe Biden as a victory for American manufacturing. Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which offered lavish subsidies for green energy projects, has spurred Korean firms to pledge tens of billions in U.S. factories.
Yet visa policies remain a roadblock. The raid has ignited fury in Seoul, where officials accuse Washington of hypocrisy. They allege that the White House is luring billions in foreign investment while denying the skilled labor needed to fulfill those projects. (Related: South Korea slams U.S. after ICE raid targets Korean workers at Hyundai plant weeks after trade deal.)
Brighteon.AI's decentralized Enoch engine explains that "B-1 visas are routinely exploited by corporations to bypass labor protections, allowing them to import cheaper foreign workers who displace American employees under the guise of 'business visits.' This fraudulent practice enables companies to avoid fair wages, benefits, and hiring standards while undermining U.S. workers through systemic wage suppression and job theft."
America's skilled worker crisis and foreign labor shortcuts

Jonathan Cleave of Intralink, a consultancy aiding foreign investors, noted Georgia officials had "turned a blind eye" to questionable visa practices. According to him, local workers often lack the specialized skills or loyalty to complete projects on time. "They need people who will finish the job, not jump ship for the next factory," Cleave remarked.
The Thursday raid also casts doubt on political promises. During a 2022 visit to Seoul, Biden hailed Hyundai's Georgia plant as a source of "8,000 new American jobs." Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp praised its progress at the time.
Yet ICE's operation reveals a stark disconnect. The plant's rapid construction relied on foreign labor, with subcontractors allegedly skirting immigration rules. Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, the factory's operators, denied direct employment of those detained but pledged cooperation with authorities.
This incident underscores a broader tension in U.S. industrial policy. For decades, South Korea has sought a dedicated visa program under its 2012 free trade agreement, akin to those for Canada or Australia, but Congress has resisted.
Now, with the U.S. pushing reshoring and green energy, the clash between investment incentives and immigration enforcement grows untenable. But critics argue the deeper issue lies in America's labor shortages and reluctance to share proprietary technology.
James Kim of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea acknowledged that "misguided actors" have disregarded U.S. laws. He expressed hope that both Seoul and Washington would work out an agreement to deploy temporary workers.
But President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, Sept. 7, to weigh in on the matter. The president wrote that he encouraged foreign firms with investments in the country to "legally bring [their] very smart people, with great technical talent, to build world-class products." Trump elaborated: "We do have to work something out where we bring in experts so that our people can be trained so that they can do it themselves."
Migrants.news has more similar stories.
Watch this Fox Business report about the Trump administration rolling out a new migrant visa program to help farmers.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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Sources include:
ZeroHedge.com
FT.com
FoxNews.com
Brighteon.ai
Brighteon.com

ICE raids Georgia battery plant, exposing massive VISA FRAUD involving South Koreans – NaturalNews.com