An unprecedented immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will delay its opening by at least two months. The company confirmed the setback after hundreds of foreign workers were detained.
raid sparks diplomatic fallout
The raid has heightened tensions between Washington and Seoul. A large number of the detained workers were South Korean nationals. President Yoon warned the crackdown could discourage foreign investment in the United States.
South Korean officials said the workers were sent on temporary assignments to help get the factory running. Hyundai chief executive José Muñoz told American outlets the raid will delay operations by two to three months because many workers now want to return home.
largest immigration raid in us history
The Georgia operation was the biggest immigration raid in US history. Authorities detained 475 people, including about 300 South Koreans. US officials said the workers lacked authorization to work. South Korean officials countered that sending workers abroad to set up plants is a common business practice.
Officials in Seoul confirmed the workers are scheduled to fly home on Friday. Their flight had been set for Wednesday but postponed. Opposition leader Lee Jae Myung said Donald Trump proposed the workers remain to continue training Americans. Only one accepted the offer.
hyundai prepares staffing alternatives
José Muñoz said Hyundai is considering how to replace the staff planning to return to South Korea. The company emphasized that none of the detained workers were directly employed by Hyundai.
LG Energy Solution, which co-operates the Georgia battery site with Hyundai, said many of its detained staff held visas or traveled under the visa waiver programme.
investment deal in jeopardy
At a press conference on Thursday, President Yoon warned that stricter rules could complicate building factories in the United States. He said companies might begin to question whether such major investments are still worthwhile.
The raid has cast uncertainty over a trade deal agreed earlier this year. Donald Trump pledged to reduce tariff threats in exchange for billions of dollars in South Korean investment.
Hyundai alone committed $26 billion, including a steel plant in Louisiana. Trump celebrated that project as part of his broader effort to revive US manufacturing with foreign capital.
georgia project seen as landmark
The raided facility is part of a huge industrial complex in Georgia. The development is expected to create 8,500 jobs and has been promoted as the most important economic project in the state’s history.
