WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump ordered on Sunday that foreign corporations who invest in the United States to strictly respect the country’s immigration regulations. His statement, which he made on his Truth Social platform, came just a few days after a big raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Hyundai-LG battery factory building site in Georgia. The raid led to the arrest of 475 personnel, more than 300 of whom were from South Korea.
“After the Hyundai incident, I am asking all foreign companies that invest in the United States to please follow our country’s immigration laws,” Trump wrote. He stressed that foreign investments are welcome, but they must follow the rules for lawful immigration.
A key part of the President’s economic plan is the “hire and train American workers” concept that he talked about in his speech. He remarked, “We welcome your investments and encourage you to bring your very smart people legally.” We ask that you hire and train American workers in return. We will all work hard together to make our country not just more productive, but also more united than ever. Thanks for taking the time to read this!”
The ICE raid on the Georgia plant, which is a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, has caused tensions between the U.S. and South Korea. Reports said that the workers who were arrested were thought to have either entered the U.S. illegally, stayed too long on their visas, or worked in violation of their visa waivers. Witnesses said it was a frantic scene, with some workers trying to escape and being dragged from a nearby pond. There haven’t been any criminal charges filed yet, but the operation has been called the biggest immigration enforcement activity at a single site in the history of the Department of Homeland Security.
South Korean authorities, including Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, have been talking to Washington about getting the workers released after they were detained. On Sunday, an agreement was made to send the South Korean prisoners back home on chartered flights after all the paperwork is done.
After going to the U.S. Open men’s tennis final, President Trump talked to media at La Guardia Airport in New York about the diplomatic ramifications. He told the people and South Korea that the event would not hurt the friendship between the two countries. He stated, “We get along very well with South Korea.” “The problem with the Hyundai plant isn’t hurting our relationship.”