Georgia EV Battery Plant Raid Followed by Trump’s affirmation of Skilled Foreign Worker Value
SAVANNAH, GA -โฃ Days after a large-scaleโ ICE raid at aโฃ Hyundai-LG Energy Solution electric โฃvehicle โbattery factory construction site in Georgia resulted in the apprehension of 475โข workers, primarily Korean nationals, former President Donald Trump signaledโ a welcoming stance โtoward foreign professionals contributing to โU.S. manufacturing. the raid,conducted on February 4th,targeted individuals accused of โฃvisa violations – overstays โขor working outside their authorized visa parameters. โฃ
While authorities did not ultimately carry out deportations, images of workers in handcuffs and shackles sparked outrage in South Korea, prompting Seoul to arrange a special โขflight to repatriate workers on February 12th.South Korean President Lee Jae-ming labeled the โคraid “confusing” on February โค11th,expressing concern about its potentialโ chilling effect on future South Korean investment in the United States.
In โคa recent social media post, Trump acknowledged the role of โขforeign expertise inโ developing “extremely complex products,” including “digitals, semiconductors,โ computers,โฃ ships, trains, and โขmany โขother products that weโข have to learnโข from others how to make.” Heโ stated, “Weโ welcome them, โขweโค welcome their โขemployees, and we are willing โto sayโ proudly that we are willing to learn from them. One day in the near future, we will become more triumphant in the ‘field’ they โคare good at.” โ
The โGeorgia raid was the largest single-site enforcement action under theโข current governance, which has prioritized increased immigration enforcement as January.