300 Hyundai Plant Workers To Be Sent Back To South Korea As Trump Demands ‘Respect’

Hundreds of South Korean nationals detained during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai site in Georgia last week will soon be repatriated as President Donald Trump called for foreign companies to “respect” America’s laws. 

The roughly 300 workers were detained during a massive immigration enforcement operation on September 4 at a Hyundai plant in Bryan County, leading to the apprehension of around 475 people who the Trump administration said were illegally working in the country. 

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, said on Sunday that the South Koreans detained during the operation would be returning home soon. 

“As a result of the swift and united response … negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded,” he said, according to the Guardian. “Only administrative procedures remain. Once these are completed, a chartered flight will depart to bring our citizens home.”

Responding to the raid on Sunday night, Trump urged all foreign companies working inside the United States to follow immigration laws and hire American workers. 

“Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers. Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent Steven Schrank said last week that the raid was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the HSI, which serves as the principal investigative arm of ICE.

U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap said that the goal of the operation was to “reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorized workers” and protect unauthorized workers from exploitation.

Hyundai stated that none of the detained individuals worked directly for the company. 

“Hyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate,” the company said in a statement. “This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws. We expect the same commitment from all our partners, suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors.”