According to BBC, South Korea expressed "concern and regret" over the operation and urged the US government to respect the rights of its citizens. The operation, described as "the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of homeland security investigations," raises potential tension between two of President Trump's top priorities: building up manufacturing within the US and cracking down on illegal immigration. It could also strain the country's relationship with a key ally.
President Trump commented on the situation from the Oval Office, stating, "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job." He acknowledged the reaction from Seoul, emphasizing the importance of maintaining good relations with other countries while also ensuring a stable workforce. He further added, "These [workers] are people that came through with Biden. They came through illegally."
Immigration officials reported that 475 individuals who were in the country illegally or working unlawfully were detained during the operation. Among those detained, 300 are reported to be Korean nationals. The detainees are currently being held at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, pending further decisions on their relocation.
In response to the raid, Hyundai Motor Company released a statement expressing its commitment to closely monitoring the situation and understanding the specific circumstances. The company clarified that none of those detained are directly employed by Hyundai. Despite the raid, Hyundai's production of electric vehicles at the site remains unaffected, although its partner in the battery joint venture, South Korea's LG Energy Solutions, has paused construction work at the site.
Videos circulating on social media depict agents lining up workers and announcing their warrant to search the facility. In response to the raid, South Korea has dispatched diplomats to the site and contacted the US embassy in Seoul, urging the US "to exercise extreme caution" concerning Korean citizens' rights. The South Korean foreign ministry emphasized that the economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations.
The incident reflects the broader context of President Trump's efforts to attract major investments from other countries while imposing tariffs intended to incentivize domestic manufacturing. South Korean companies have committed to investing billions of dollars in key US industries, partly to avoid tariffs. Georgia's Governor, Republican Brian Kemp, had previously highlighted Hyundai's new electric vehicle operation as the state's most significant economic development project, employing 1,200 people. However, Trump's campaign against illegal immigration has led to nationwide efforts to round up individuals believed to be in the US illegally, detain them, and often deport them, affecting people of various nationalities beyond Latin American countries.