President Donald Trump has moved to reassure foreign investors that skilled overseas workers remain welcome in the United States, following the arrest of hundreds of South Korean nationals at a construction site in Georgia earlier this month.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he did not wish to “frighten off or disincentivise investment” and emphasised the value of allowing foreign experts to work temporarily in the country. He said such workers could “teach and train our people how to make these very unique and complex products” before returning home.
On 4 September, approximately 475 people, most of them South Korean, were detained at the site of a Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant in the south-eastern state. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials alleged that many had overstayed their visas or were working in breach of their permit conditions.
The operation, the largest single-site immigration raid since Trump intensified enforcement measures nationwide, prompted concern in South Korea after images emerged of workers in chains and handcuffs. Although the United States opted against deportation, the South Korean government repatriated the workers on Friday.
President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea described the raid as “bewildering” and warned it could deter future investment in the US.
Trump lists ‘necessary’ industries
In his remarks, Trump outlined the types of industries in which he believed foreign expertise was essential, citing “chips, semiconductors, computers, ships, trains, and so many other products” that the US must learn or relearn to produce.
“We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to say we will learn from them proudly, and do even better than them at their own ‘game’ sometime in the not-too-distant future,” he said.
South Korean trade unions have called on Trump to issue a formal apology over the incident
