Hyundai suspends business trips to US and instructs employees to return home after “shock” ICE raid in Georgia

South Korea has reached an agreement with the U.S. federal government to release its citizens who were arrested in a surprise ICE raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.

Hundreds detained in Georgia

A total of 475 people, more than 300 of them South Korean nationals, were detained and transferred to an ICE facility in Folkston. U.S. officials said the workers were employed illegally at the battery plant.

“They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job,” President Donald Trump said Friday.

U.S. cites visa violations

“People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the U.S.,” ICE added, noting that raids like this help protect American jobs.

Speaking to CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Trump administration border official Tom Homan said similar raids are likely to become increasingly common.

South Korean employees instructed to leave U.S. immediately

LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant alongside Hyundai, said many of those arrested were in the U.S. on business trips with different visas or under a visa waiver program.

Kang Hoon-sik, the chief of staff of South Korean president Lee Jae Myung, said authorities are working to improve his country’s visa system to prevent future issues.

The company announced it would suspend most U.S. business trips and instructed employees currently in the U.S. to return to South Korea immediately. The South Korean government said it would send a chartered plane to bring the detained employees home, provided administrative procedures are completed smoothly.

Georgia’s biggest economic development project

The plant where the raid took place is intended to supply batteries for electric vehicles and has been branded the biggest economic development project in Georgia’s history by Republican Governor Brian P. Kemp.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.