Released on September 7, 2025
US President Donald Trump warned foreign companies that they were violating immigration laws after hundreds of Korean workers were detained at the construction site of a Hyundai factory in Georgia.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump urged companies investing in the US to “respect” the law.
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“Your investment is welcome. And we encourage you to bring in very smart people legally to build world-class products with excellent technical talent, and we will make it possible for you to do so quickly and legally.”
“What we ask in return is that you hire and train American workers. Together, we all work hard to ensure that we are not only productive, but we are more united than ever.”
Trump’s comments come hours after South Korea said it had reached an agreement on the release of about 300 Korean workers detained Thursday at the location of the electric vehicle battery joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions in Brian County, Georgia.
Kang Hoon Sik’s Chief of Staff said South Korea and the US have finalized negotiations on the release of workers, and Seoul will take them home to send charter planes as soon as notable management measures are completed.
U.S. immigration officials said Friday that 475 people were detained in the attack on the Hyundai Site, which also includes a manufacturing plant that began producing EVs last year.
A spokesperson said the migrant element of the attack came as part of a larger, multi-month investigation into labor practices at the site.
A video released Saturday by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found a caravan of vehicles driving to the site, after which federal agents instructed workers to line up outside.
Some detainees were ordered to raise their hands to the bus as they were jawed, then tied up around their hands, ankles and hips.
Trump targets migrant workers
Since Trump returned to power in January, ICE has been strengthened with record funds and new latitudes to launch the attack as part of its crackdown on immigrants and refugees.
The Pew Research Center said the US workforce lost more than 1.2 million immigrants from January to July, citing preliminary Census Bureau data.
The president says he wants to deport “the worst, the worst, the worst” criminals. However, ice figures show an increase in detention for non-criminals.
This latest RAID highlights the destructive impact of Trump’s destruction of anti-immigrant anti-transition on his efforts to attract foreign investment.
Georgia officials are promoting the modern manufacturing plant and the Hyundai LG complex as the largest economic development project in the state’s history.
Hyundai, the largest automobile manufacturer in Korea, employs around 1,200 people in its $7.6 billion manufacturing plant. The joint venture with LG is scheduled to open next year.
Agents focused the surgery on plants still under construction.
Most of the people detained were taken to the Immigration Detention Center in Folkestone, Georgia, near Rhine, Florida.
Stephen Schrank, a lead Georgia agent in the Homeland Security Investigation, said at a press conference Friday that he added that the investigation was ongoing, and that Stephen Schrank has not yet been charged with a crime.
“Serious risks to the country”
South Korea, a close US ally, has sent diplomats to the site, expressing “concern and regret” over the attack targeting citizens.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Saturday that President Lee Jae-myeon “should not infringe” the rights and interests of South Korean citizens and the operations of Korean companies investing in the United States, instructing officials to authorities.
South Korean opposition Power Party (PPP) reacted angrily to detention, warning the country that it could “substantial risks.”
Senior PPP spokesman Parkson Hoon blamed Lee for the incident and said his “practical diplomacy” against the US “difficult to ensure both citizen safety and competitiveness.”
Park said Lee’s government has pledged to invest at least $50 billion in a recent meeting with Trump.
