Mass Exodus of South Koreans from the U.S. Following Controversial Raid Events
In a surprising turn of events, 475 foreign workers, including 316 South Korean nationals, were detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first week of September. The operation took place on the premises of Hyundai and LG Energy Solution companies, causing a stir in both the U.S. and South Korea.
Initially, U.S. President Donald Trump pressured authorities not to release the detained South Koreans. However, Trump later tried to keep the specialists in the country by delaying their return flight. The sudden absence of these highly qualified workers is said to have caused significant economic damage to their companies.
The South Korean government criticized the raid and the conditions in which the workers were held. Reports suggest that the detainees were held under degrading conditions, including confiscation of mobile phones, wearing prison uniforms, overcrowded cells, poor hygiene, insect infestation, and restricted access to medical care.
Despite his restrictive immigration policy, Trump's demand for foreign investment contradicts this stance. Companies like Hyundai and LG Energy Solution had made billion-dollar investments to avoid tariffs, meeting Trump's demand for foreign companies to deploy capital in the U.S. The U.S. welcomes foreign companies and their employees, Trump later stated, aiming to smooth things over.
However, the raid could potentially result in image loss for the U.S., with discussions in South Korea about whether companies should reconsider future projects in the United States. The U.S. authority responsible for locating and deporting unauthorized workers, currently working on an increasing number of daily deportations, is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE conducts investigations at workplaces and arrests people found to be illegally present in the United States.
ICE is expected to carry out 3,000 deportations daily in the future, with the budget for the Department of Homeland Security being doubled. Moreover, $45 billion is to be spent on the construction and expansion of deportation prisons. Critics argue that ICE is developing into a barely controlled deportation militia under the Trump administration.
All South Korean nationals, except for one, left the United States after being detained. The U.S. authorities accused the workers of being in the U.S. illegally or working without proper authorization, but it was later revealed that this was not the case. Trump emphasized that skilled workers should be allowed to come to the U.S. for a certain period to train American employees, highlighting the complexity of the immigration issue.
