Trump defends Georgia ICE raid, calls on firms to hire US workers
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Trump warns foreign companies to respect US immigration laws following the mass arrest of workers at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia.
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US President Donald Trump speaks upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 (AP)
Following the arrest of approximately 475 individuals, including South Korean workers, at a Hyundai-LG battery plant under construction in the southern state of Georgia, US President Donald Trump issued a warning on Sunday to foreign companies, urging them to obey US law.
"Please respect our Nation's Immigration Laws," the US President stated on social media, adding, "Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people... What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers."
These arrests were made in a raid by US authorities on Thursday, which was the largest single-site operation implemented so far under Trump's nationwide anti-migrant drive. Footage of the raid showed detained workers, who were in handcuffs and had chains around their ankles, being loaded onto a bus.
Steven Schrank, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia, informed reporters that the raid was focused on addressing unlawful employment practices occurring at the massive, 100-acre construction site.
LG Energy Solution has stated that 47 of its employees, which included 46 South Koreans and one Indonesian, were arrested. The company has also said that about 250 of those arrested were believed to be employed by its contractor, with most of them being South Koreans.
Trump acknowledges workforce deficiency
While cautioning investors on Sunday to abide by the law, Trump appeared to acknowledge a skill deficiency in the domestic workforce.
"ICE was doing right because they were here illegally," the US President stated, noting, "... We do have to work something out where we bring in extras so that our people can be trained so that they can do it themselves."
On Sunday, Seoul announced that negotiations to secure the release of the detained workers had been concluded and that they would soon be freed and flown home. "The immediate priority now is the swift release of both our LG Energy Solution employees and those of our partner firms," company executive Kim Ki-soo told reporters before departing for Georgia.
