Trump asks nations to ‘respect’ US laws as South Koreans face deportation

South Korea’s foreign minister is preparing to travel to the U.S. to help sort out the status of South Korean nationals detained for working in the U.S. illegally.

About 500 illegal workers, including approximately 300 South Koreans, were arrested last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a months-long investigation at a construction site under development for advanced batteries outside Savannah, Georgia, according to the Associated Press (AP).

ICE said it’s unclear which company was employing the workers, but unlike other immigration raids, this raid came with a search warrant after the federal agency presented evidence to a court about the mass violations.

The raid, which took place at the South Korean-owned Hyundai Motor Group plant, was the largest group enforcement action in ICE history.

“I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” said President Donald Trump via social media regarding the raid. “Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.”

The U.S. and South Korea remain divided over a $350 billion trade deal. At last month’s summit, the country pledged an additional $150 billion in U.S. investments, including $26 billion from Hyundai Motor.

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is trying to negotiate a deal whereby the workers can return to the U.S. for work once they get the proper visas, according to Reuters.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said most of the workers will be deported, although some may be kept for violations of criminal laws.

Some of those detained were relying on short-term visas or temporary travel visas, which don’t allow for employment.

South Korean firms argue the U.S. visa system is overly complex and the domestic labor pool lacks required technical expertise.

Some Korean legislators are also arguing for investigations regarding Americans working illegally in South Korea, the AP said. But such a reciprocal response is unexpected, primarily because outside English teaching jobs, very few opportunities exist for Americans to work in the country.

Americans caught working illegally in South Korea face deportation, five-figure fines and travel bans that can last from six months to a lifetime. When a South Korean national illegally hires a foreign worker, it’s a criminal offense that can result in up to three years in jail.

Most of the workers detained by ICE remain at an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, reported Politico, which noted none of the South Korean workers had been charged with crimes.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the South Korean president, announced Seoul and Washington had finalized negotiations for the workers’ return. South Korea said it would dispatch a charter plane to bring them home, according to Politico.

Officials from the South Korean government have been in contact with their nationals and have conducted counselor interviews, reported NBC News.

“None of the interviewees raised health issues or complaints about detention conditions, nor were there reports of human rights violations,” the official told NBC.

Hyundai said the workers were not employed by them and were most likely contract workers.

“Hyundai has zero tolerance for those who don’t follow the law,” said the company’s statement, according to the AP.