Over 300 South Korean workers return home after detainment in Georgia
More than 300 South Korean workers detained at a Georgia construction site last week arrived in Seoul on Friday following their release from U.S. immigration detention centers. Their return brought closure to a situation that outraged many in South Korea and may jeopardize the American ally’s future business investments in the U.S.
The South Korean workers landed at Seoul’s international airport after departing from Atlanta.
The Associated Press reported that a small group of people greeted them, with one person holding up a banner that displayed an ICE agent wearing a mask displaying President Donald Trump’s face. The banner said: “We’re friends! Aren’t we?”
Workers reunited with loved ones
There were also emotional reunions between workers and their families. One mother told CNN that she had been unable to contact her son after his detainment.
“I’m grateful he came back healthy,” the mother, only identified by her surname, said. “My son has allergies, so that was a concern. Just thinking about him being handcuffed and shackled on his ankles is deeply traumatizing.”
Another mother, whom CNN did not identify, said seeing footage of the ICE raid “made me feel so distressed.” She said she’s hopeful her son will one day be able to return to the U.S. for work. “But for now,” she said, “I don’t want to send him back to the U.S.”
Background of the saga
The workers were detained on Sept. 4, during a raid at a plant near Savannah that will manufacture batteries for Hyundai’s electric vehicles. The electric vehicle plant is a joint venture between Hyundai and LG.
Detainees were placed in wrist and ankle shackles, which sparked anger among South Koreans.
The incident prompted negotiations between the United States and South Korea on the return of the workers. The Washington Post reported that Trump had sought to allow the workers to remain in the U.S. After Korean officials rejected that idea, Trump ordered that the detainees be transported to the Atlanta airport for the flight home without restraints, a break from immigration enforcement protocol.
The Trump administration said many were unauthorized to work in the United States. However, South Korean officials said the workers had visas that allow them to work under very specific conditions, while others had valid work visas. Attorneys for those detained also contend their clients were lawfully working in Georgia at the time of their arrests.
Future of EV plant remains in question
The future of the EV battery factory is now unclear. It was part of a massive electric vehicle plant expected to create about 8,500 jobs.
Hyundai CEO José Mũnoz said the EV battery factory now faces at least a two- to three-month delay, according to Reuters.
‘New visa category’
Meanwhile, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said that “the State Department and the Foreign Ministry will establish a working group to create a new visa category, aimed at ensuring that those engaged in corporate investment in South Korea can obtain visas as quickly as possible.”
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned the incident may have a chilling effect on his country’s business investment in the U.S. as firms expressed confusion with U.S. visa rules.
Earlier this week, Cho called on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to permit workers to return to the U.S. for work at a later date, as reported by CNN.
U.S. officials responded by saying that they “respected this position and would promptly move forward with the repatriation schedule.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
