Two key components of President Donald Trump’s agenda collided on Thursday, when federal authorities launched an immigration raid on a Georgia construction site for a Hyundai electric vehicle battery plant.
The action occurred when Trump seeks to ensure $ 350 billion in South Korea investments, as part of a broader commercial agreement. He is also trying to revitalize the national manufacture of the United States with workers born in the United States, while their administration arrests and sports workers born abroad.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The raid, which led to the arrest of almost 500 workers, more than 300 of which were South Korean citizens, the alarms were activated in Seoul, which is now working with the US police to return these workers home.
Hyundai, one of the largest companies in South Korea, said he is “committed to the full fulfillment of all laws and regulations” while noting that “none of the detainees is used directly by Hyundai Motor Company.” In the United States, Hyundai is the fourth sales success of new vehicles in the nation, behind GM, Toyota and Ford.
“As we continue to invest in American manufacturing and create thousands of jobs, we will do so in accordance with US law and in a way that reflects our values of treating all people with dignity and respect,” the company added.
Hyundai refused to say specifically if he would alter his plans due to the raid last week. According to the reports, the LG energy solution, which will operate the factory in a joint company with Hyundai, has decided to delay the start of production until the first half of 2026.
LG Energy Solution and the joint company did not immediately respond to comments requests.
“I will make it clear that if it ends [of the factory] It is delayed, the United States will also suffer significant losses, ”said South Korean Foreign Minister on Monday, he told the legislators on Monday.
Trump dismissed such concerns. When asked if the raid was striving relations with South Korea, Trump said Sunday: “No, we have a great relationship with South Korea.”
The South Korean government has been working with the Trump administration to finish a Marco Commercial Agreement, under which South Korea would buy $ 100 billion of US energy products and invest $ 350 billion in the United States. The details of that investment are still clear, but Trump has said that these funds would be yours to use in any way that he considers convenient.
Days after Hyundai’s raid, Trump on Sunday night warned foreign companies that did business in the United States. “Your investments are welcome, and we recommend that you legally bring your very intelligent people, with great technical talent, to build world -class products, and we will do it quickly and legally to do so,” he wrote in Truth Social.
Other projects promoted by Trump in high profile ads, such as semiconductor factories, high -power AI data centers, pharmaceutical plants, energy infrastructure, aircraft assembly lines and others may require visas for similar types of workers.
“This operation underlines our commitment to protect jobs for Georgians, ensuring a leveling playing field for companies that comply with the law, safeguard the integrity of our economy and protect exploitation workers. This research focuses on guaranteeing the responsibility of those who violate the law and the acquisition of the rule of law,” said a customs of customs and customs of the customs of the Customs.
Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, told CNN on Sunday that the administration plans “many more operations in the workplace.” Homan did not specify what other types of companies can receive visits, but cited their personal experience with hiring a roof company. “I had to call five different companies before having a company that guaranteed me a legal workforce,” he said.
The economic and immigration policies of the president often appear. On Friday, the Labor Department reported an additional slowdown in employment growth, indicating a cooling in the economy in general. The administration, however, promoted a decrease in workers born abroad.
The farms in California, the flesh python plants in Nebraska and the companies in several other states received ICE visits, agents of the border patrol and other federal officials in May and June, which led to protests and complaints from the industries that were losing reliable workers and for a long time. Farmers were already under pressure from the president’s tariff policy, which has harmed the demand for American products abroad.
Trump often quotes American farmers as among his greatest followers. “Our great farmers and people in the hotel and leisure business have affirmed that our very aggressive immigration policy is taking their workers a long time, and those works are almost impossible to replace,” Trump published in June. “We must protect our farmers, but take out the criminals from the United States. Changes are approaching!”
Then, ICE stopped visits to farms, hotels, restaurants, fishing and other types of workplaces. But after about a week, the National Security Department returned and ice visits resumed.
Trump admitted last weekend that the Administration will have to give visas to foreign workers, especially those who could train US workers in specialized industries, such as the establishment of battery factories.
“We are going to have to train people. And the way you train people is [to] Bring people to know what they are doing and let them stay for a while and help, “Trump said.” So, I’m going to see that. It is a very interesting situation that took place in Georgia. ”
Trump has indicated the Hyundai factory and the company’s related American investments as evidence that the administration’s economic agenda is working, despite the fact that facilities such as the one that Hyundai is building takes years to begin to produce tangible production.
“The strictest immigration application has probably reduced new participants to the workforce,” Wells Fargo economists wrote on Friday after the most recent jobs report showed that only 22,000 jobs were added in August. This report also included reviews that showed a contraction of the labor market in June.
The main economist of EY agreed, noting that “the strictest immigration policies are increasingly restricting the job offer.”
