South Korean workers caught in a big US immigration raid could soon head back home without facing tough deportation rules. A top official from Seoul’s foreign ministry shared this update on Monday, saying the government is teaming up with Washington to arrange a special chartered flight for their safe return.
The drama unfolded after US authorities raided a massive electric vehicle battery plant construction site near Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday. The site is run by a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. Over 300 South Korean nationals now sit in a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, as part of a crackdown on what the US calls unlawful workplace practices. In total, officials nabbed 475 people during the operation.
South Korea’s presidential office jumped into action on Sunday, announcing plans for a chartered plane to fly the workers back after talks with US officials. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is heading to Washington via Salt Lake City later today to wrap up key details and make sure everything goes smoothly for releasing the citizens. “We’re pushing hard with the US to sort this out fast so all our detained South Koreans can get home safely as soon as possible,” the ministry official told reporters. “Once the local procedures wrap up, we’ll bring them all back at the earliest date.”
That chartered flight might take off for the US as early as Wednesday, South Korean time. Seoul is negotiating voluntary departure for the workers, which beats deportation. Why? Deportation could slap them with stricter visa checks or even a travel ban, making future trips to the US a nightmare. Officials have already met with around 250 of the detainees to check on their health and conditions at the Folkston center. Good news: No signs of unfair treatment or human rights issues so far.
Next up, the team will ask how many want to hop on the chartered plane. US immigration folks have given the detainees a stark choice: Accept deportation with a five-year reentry ban, or stay locked up and face trial. Even with voluntary returns, some might still hit snags on future US visas depending on their status.
While in Washington, Minister Cho plans to push for changes like bigger visa quotas for South Korean workers to stop these immigration raid headaches from happening again. Seoul has begged for this for years, but anti-immigration vibes in the US and a hesitant Congress have blocked progress. For comparison, countries like Chile, Singapore, and Australia scored visa deals through free trade talks with the US in the early 2000s.
Once released, the workers will bus about 50 minutes to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida for their flight home. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump chimed in, saying the raid and arrests won’t hurt ties with South Korea. He promised to take a close look at the whole mess.
This US-South Korea immigration saga highlights the growing tensions around worker visas and workplace raids in the electric vehicle boom. Stay tuned as more details emerge on these detained South Korean workers and the voluntary return plans.
