Seoul: South Korea and the United States coordinated to finalize logistical details Tuesday to bring home hundreds of Korean nationals detained in a recent U.S. immigration crackdown in Georgia, a Seoul official said. The two countries are working on arrangements to transport the detained Korean workers from a detention center in Folkston to an airport in Atlanta. The plan includes helping the detainees board a chartered plane, which is expected to depart as early as Wednesday local time.
According to Yonhap News Agency, more than 300 Korean nationals were detained following last week's raid at an electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Bryan County. This site is operated by a joint venture of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, stated that preparations are ongoing with the cooperation of the U.S. regarding administrative and technical matters.
Cho emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "We are making our best efforts to ensure that our citizens can return to Korea as quickly as possible." Once all administrative issues are resolved, the detained individuals are expected to travel by bus to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a journey estimated to take approximately four and a half hours.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff are anticipated to accompany the Korean nationals, either by boarding the bus or joining a motorcade. South Korea is advocating for the return of the detained workers through voluntary departure, in preference to deportation. ICE noted that those arrested in the raid were found to be working illegally in the U.S., with some on short-term or recreational visas not permitting employment.