After federal law enforcement officials said they conducted a raid at a Georgia battery plant that they called the "largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations," over 300 South Korean migrants returned home Friday after being released from U.S. custody.
The migrants, who worked at a plant co-operated by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, were detained over a week ago after officials said they did not have legal status to remain in the U.S. Immigration officials said some had entered the U.S. illegally, while others had overstayed their visas.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said some of the families of the migrants were demanding an apology from President Donald Trump. They said the detainment of the migrants was not necessary.
"I thought that he would only go through simple questioning but when I saw on TV that they went to a detention center and were shackled, I was taken aback," said Lee-Sang-hee, father of one of the workers detained.
The operation took place at a Hyundai plant in Bryan County, Georgia. Officials said that 475 people — mostly South Korean nationals — were apprehended. Some of those present had entered the U.S. illegally, overstayed their visas, or did not have proper work permits.
The incident has prompted concerns for South Korean businesses investing in the U.S.
Yonhap News Agency reported that President Lee Jae Myung said the raid could make some South Korean firms "hesitant" about investing in the United States.
It "could be disadvantageous or difficult to set up a factory there, so they can't but agonize over it," Lee said, according to Yonhap.
The release of migrants came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. A readout of the meeting provided by the State Department did not mention any discussion of the Georgia raid.
Yonhap said that South Korean officials are working with the U.S. on creating a smoother visa process to avoid situations like this in the future.
