After the federal officials of the Federal Officials announced to carry out raids in a battery facility in Georgia, which they referred to as the “largest asset operation in the history of the homeland protection examinations”, over 300 South Korean migrants returned home on Friday after they were released from the U.S.
The migrants, who worked in a complex compiled by Hyundai and LG, were arrested over a week ago after the officials said they had no legal status to stay in the US immigration officers, said some had entered the USA illegally, while others had exceeded their visas.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap said some of the families of the migrants are demanding an apology from President Donald Trump. They said the detention of the migrants was not necessary.
“I thought that he would only go through a simple questioning, but when I saw on TV that they went to a detention center and were tied up, I was surprised,” said Lee-Sang-Hee, father of one of the imprisoned workers.
The operation took place in a work in Hyundai in Bryan County, Georgia. Officials said that 475 people – mainly South Korean citizens – were arrested. Some of these present had entered the United States illegally, reconsidered their visas or had no reasonable work permits.
The incident has triggered concerns for South Korean companies that invest in the USA
Yonhap News Agency reported that President Lee Jae Myung said that the raid could make some South Korean companies “hesitant” about investing in the USA.
It could be disadvantageous or difficult to set up a factory there, so you can only qualify about it, “said Lee, according to Yonhap.
Migrants were released one day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. A selection of the meeting provided by the Foreign Ministry did not mention a discussion about the raid in Georgia.
Yonhap said that South Korean officials work with the United States to create a smooth visa process in order to avoid situations like this in the future.
