US President Donald Trump affirmed that foreign workers are always welcomed and he did not want to discourage investors. The statement comes as about 475 workers, mostly South Koreans, were arrested at the Hyundai-LG-powered electric vehicle battery factory construction site in Georgia.
According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), these workers are traveling over the expiration date or using licenses that are not suitable for their work. The crackdown is considered the largest single campaign since Mr Trump launched a campaign to suppress illegal immigration across the United States. The image of workers being handcuffed has caused widespread concern in South Korea, where unions asked Trump to issue an official apology.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned on September 11 that the incident could affect future investments, calling the search "causing confusion". By September 12, Seoul had brought these workers back home.
In a post on the social network Truth Social, Mr. Trump said that the US will temporarily allow foreign experts to participate in the construction of complex products such as chips, semiconductors, computers, ships and trains. He stressed that the US needs to learn from others to improve technology and will soon surpass them in the future.
"We welcome them, we welcome their staff and we are willing to learn to do better," Trump said, reassuring both workers and foreign investors.
