More than 310 South Koreans released week after detention in US immigration crackdown

Washington, Sep 11 (IANS) Hundreds of South Korean workers detained in last week’s US immigration crackdown were released early on Thursday, capping Seoul’s weeklong diplomatic push to end the unprecedented mass detention of its nationals by its sole treaty ally.

A total of 316 Korean nationals left a detention centre in Folkston, Georgia, a week after their arrest in a raid at an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant construction site run by a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Bryan County near Savannah.

Along with 14 foreigners, the Koreans will travel by bus for around 4 1/2 hours to reach Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, where they will board a chartered Korean Air plane to return home in the form of “voluntary departure” rather than deportation, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Buses carrying the workers left the facilities and were heading to the airport.

The plane is expected to take off at noon (local time) and arrive in Korea on Friday.

The workers’ release came a day later than initially planned as US President Donald Trump encouraged them to stay in the United States, Seoul officials said, given that his administration seeks greater cooperation with Korean companies to revitalise America’s shipbuilding, chipmaking, automotive and other industries.

A total of 475 people, including the Koreans, were arrested at the EV battery site — seen as a key example of the two countries’ economic collaboration — in what Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials dubbed the “largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.”

ICE said they were found to be working illegally in the US, including those on short-term or recreational visas that bar them from working. Most Korean workers are said to have been on B-1 temporary visitor visas or a visa waiver program.

Led by Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, an on-site support team provided consular assistance to the Koreans, while other senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, launched all-out endeavours to secure their early release and safe repatriation.

The workers, as well as their employers, were taken aback by the raid as it challenged their longstanding belief that America, their country’s alliance partner, is among the most reliable destinations for investment and business collaboration.

The crackdown was feared to put a strain on bilateral ties as ICE video footage of the Koreans shackled with handcuffs and metal chains caused shock, fury, consternation and even a sense of betrayal in South Korea, and raised questions over whether Korean enterprises can stably do business in the US.

“This episode is yet another direct hit on overall US credibility as a reliable and trusted partner or ally in Korea and beyond,” Rob Rapson, former acting US ambassador to South Korea, told Yonhap News Agency via email.

The raid came just 10 days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Trump sought to build a personal rapport during their in-person summit at the White House following a framework trade deal in late July, under which Korea committed to investing USD 350 billion in the US.

Some observers said the detention of Korean workers could have a silver lining. It has brought to the fore the long-festering visa issue for Korean businesses struggling to find stable pathways to deploy their skilled workers to the US.

During his talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign Minister Cho proposed instituting a working group to discuss the creation of a new visa category for Korean workers — a proposal that Rubio said he will “actively review,” according to Seoul officials.

Cho also secured assurances from the US side that the Korean workers detained in the raid will not face any disadvantages, such as restrictions on their reentry into the US.

The weeklong detention weighed heavily on the mind of the South Korean president, who has declared the South Korea-US alliance as the very “foundation” of his administration’s security and foreign policy.

“I feel a great sense of responsibility as a president who has the ultimate responsibility for the safety of citizens,” he said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Critics have said the raid further exposed the contradictory aspect of Trump’s policy that has leveraged tariffs to attract foreign investments, while employing a hard-line immigration policy stoking fears among foreign workers who are needed to drive those investment projects.

Apparently mindful of criticism about immigration crackdowns, Trump signalled his willingness Sunday to explore legal ways to help foreign companies investing in the US bring their “smart” people with “great technical talent” into America to hire and train US workers.

–IANS

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