ATLANTA – The transportation of over 300 South Korean workers, detained during a recent immigration raid at an electric vehicle battery factory in Georgia, is underway. Buses are ferrying the workers from a detention center in southeast Georgia to Atlanta, where a charter flight awaits to return them home.
Last week's operation, which saw approximately 475 workers detained at the Hyundai-linked factory under construction, has garnered significant attention. South Korea's foreign ministry confirmed that 330 detainees had been released, composed mainly of Koreans, alongside a small number of Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian nationals.
A Korean Air Boeing 747 is set to take off with the workers on board for South Korea. The incident has prompted discussions on U.S. visa policies, as South Korean President, Lee Jae Myung, highlighted potential hesitations for Korean companies regarding future U.S. investments.
During meetings in Washington, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, addressing the emotional toll this situation has had on the workers. Cho urged the U.S. to facilitate a quick, unencumbered departure for the workers and to ensure they won’t encounter reentry issues in the future.
The South Korean government is advocating for resolution measures that would allow the workers to leave voluntarily, countering deportation that could complicate their ability to return to the U.S. for up to a decade. The video of the arrests that circulated publicly has added to the distress felt by the workers and their families.
