SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - The South Korean government said on Sunday that it had successfully negotiated the release of over 300 of its citizens who were detained by American immigration authorities at a construction site in Georgia.
The workers were building a joint battery plant for Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.
Lee Hun-sik, the chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, announced that “negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been completed,” and he credited the rapid response of government ministries, corporations and economic organizations.
Speaking at a high-level meeting in Seoul, Lee noted that while the release had been secured, administrative procedures were still pending.
"A charter flight will depart to bring our citizens home as soon as those procedures are completed," he said.
He added that the government would "not let down its guard" until the workers had returned safely to South Korea, and that officials would work to review and improve the visa system for South Koreans traveling to the United States for large-scale projects to prevent similar incidents.
The detentions occurred after federal immigration authorities carried out what they called the largest enforcement operation in their history at the Bryan County construction site.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations arrested 475 workers during the raid on Sept. 4, citing widespread violations involving unauthorized employment and visa overstays.
U.S. authorities said many of those taken into custody had entered the country under the visa waiver program or on short-term visas that do not permit employment.
LG Energy Solution confirmed that 47 of its own employees were among those arrested, including 46 South Koreans and one Indonesian. The company said roughly 250 workers from its partner firms were also detained, most of whom were believed to be South Korean.
Consular officials from South Korea’s Consulate General in Atlanta began meeting with the detainees on Saturday at an ICE processing center in Folkston, Ga., to check on their health and living conditions. The on-site support team is being led by Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the South Korean Embassy in Washington.
LG Energy Solution said it had suspended all business travel to the United States for its employees, except for essential customer meetings, and had instructed staff members currently in the country to either return home or remain at their accommodations.
On Friday, President Donald Trump, who has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his administration, praised the operation and referred to those detained as “illegal aliens.”
ICE later released a video clip of the raid, showing workers being screened, shackled with chains and handcuffs, and loaded onto a transport vehicle.
reporter
Candice Kim
candicekim1121@ajupress.com
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