As South Korean Workers Return Home, Experts Warn Trump’s ICE Crackdown Risks US Investment

Last Updated:September 15, 2025, 20:39 IST

South Korean workers, considered essential for speeding up large-scale manufacturing projects in the US, are now hesitant to return

Protesters stage a rally against the detention of South Korean workers during an immigration raid in Georgia, near the US Embassy in Seoul. (AP photo)

US President Donald Trump’s push to attract foreign investment and revive domestic manufacturing is now being undermined by his own administration’s harsh immigration crackdown, experts warn. In the latest incident, around 300 South Korean workers were deported and have since returned home, alleging mistreatment and harassment while held in an ICE detention facility.

Those workers were part of a larger group detained after a September 4 raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Hyundai‑LG battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia. In total, ICE picked up 475 workers—317 of them South Korean—amid reports of crowded, unsanitary conditions and other abuses.

On Friday, about 300 of the detainees flew back to Seoul, greeted at Incheon Airport by cheering families and government officials. Only one South Korean worker chose to stay in the US, despite earlier calls by Trump for the workers to remain and train American labourers.

“Nobody is going to stay and work when it’s like this," said Jang Young‑seol, an engineer with an LGES subcontractor told Reuters.

The incident has sparked diplomatic tension. Lawmakers and diplomats in South Korea have sharply criticised the US visa system and detention practices. Some foreign companies are reportedly reconsidering US investment plans as concerns grow over the legal and human rights risks associated with crossing immigration enforcement lines.

Hyundai has said the Ellabell plant, part of a $7.6 billion electric vehicle battery complex, is facing a delay of at least two to three months due to the fallout from the raid.

South Korean government is now reviewing whether there were human rights violations involving its citizens during the mass detentions. According to reports, some detainees alleged they were shackled and handcuffed, denied proper explanation of their rights, and held in poor conditions.

Meanwhile, the US administration has attempted to assuage fears among foreign workers and investors. Trump said foreign workers are “welcome" and that he does not wish to discourage investment. However, the images of the detained workers, including their public handcuffing, have already had a chilling effect: experts say that trust is being shaken, and that future investment in U.S. manufacturing may hinge on how the administration handles situations like this.

(With inputs from agencies)

News world As South Korean Workers Return Home, Experts Warn Trump’s ICE Crackdown Risks US Investment

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