(United States, 8th) After U.S. law enforcement agencies conducted large-scale raids and detained hundreds of employees without legal status in Georgia—including Korean citizens—a senior White House official said the Trump administration plans to target more company facilities and intensify enforcement on illegal immigration.
According to Reuters, Thomas Homan, known as the U.S. “border czar” and the White House Director of Border Affairs, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday (September 7) that the government would further focus on workplaces.
Homan said: “We are going to conduct more workplace enforcement actions. No one hires illegal immigrants out of goodwill. They hire illegal immigrants because these people are willing to do tougher jobs for lower wages, which undermines the competitiveness of companies that hire American citizens.”
Opponents of Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, as well as some business groups, argue that the main U.S. industries—including agriculture, hospitality, and meat processing—rely on undocumented immigrant labor.
On September 4, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations—among other agencies—launched a surprise enforcement action against an under-construction factory and associated contractors in Georgia, arresting 475 employees without legal status. This factory is an electric vehicle battery plant jointly invested in by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
The Korean foreign ministry has confirmed that among LG Energy Solution and partner company employees, over 300 Korean citizens were detained during the raid, while no Hyundai Motor employees were arrested. The Korean government quickly initiated a response, not only repatriating the detained personnel and completing consultations with the U.S. side, but also promising to improve the U.S. visa system to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Yonhap News Agency, citing diplomatic sources, reported that South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to the United States on Monday (8th), where he is expected to meet with U.S. officials to discuss administrative procedures for the release of the detained Korean citizens.
The BBC analyzed that this enforcement action may trigger a potential contradiction between Trump’s two top priorities: developing domestic manufacturing and cracking down on illegal immigration. Georgia Governor Kemp is seeking to make the state America’s electric vehicle capital.
According to Reuters, Thomas Homan, known as the U.S. “border czar” and the White House Director of Border Affairs, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday (September 7) that the government would further focus on workplaces.
Homan said: “We are going to conduct more workplace enforcement actions. No one hires illegal immigrants out of goodwill. They hire illegal immigrants because these people are willing to do tougher jobs for lower wages, which undermines the competitiveness of companies that hire American citizens.”
Opponents of Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, as well as some business groups, argue that the main U.S. industries—including agriculture, hospitality, and meat processing—rely on undocumented immigrant labor.
On September 4, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations—among other agencies—launched a surprise enforcement action against an under-construction factory and associated contractors in Georgia, arresting 475 employees without legal status. This factory is an electric vehicle battery plant jointly invested in by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
The Korean foreign ministry has confirmed that among LG Energy Solution and partner company employees, over 300 Korean citizens were detained during the raid, while no Hyundai Motor employees were arrested. The Korean government quickly initiated a response, not only repatriating the detained personnel and completing consultations with the U.S. side, but also promising to improve the U.S. visa system to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Yonhap News Agency, citing diplomatic sources, reported that South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to the United States on Monday (8th), where he is expected to meet with U.S. officials to discuss administrative procedures for the release of the detained Korean citizens.
The BBC analyzed that this enforcement action may trigger a potential contradiction between Trump’s two top priorities: developing domestic manufacturing and cracking down on illegal immigration. Georgia Governor Kemp is seeking to make the state America’s electric vehicle capital.