The CEO of Hyundai Motor Co. said Thursday that the raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcemen on a Hyundai-affiliated battery plant in Georgia last week will push back construction plans by several months, Axios reported.
About 300 South Korean nationals were among 560 people arrested Sept. 4 in an ICE investigationt of unlawful employment practices at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia. Hyundai has announced that it will investigate employment practices by suppliers and their subcontractors.
Hyundai’s $26 billion U.S. investment, once touted as an early signature win for President Donald Trump, is now in doubt as the fallout from the immigration raid unfolds. The raid highlighted a core tension in Trump administration policy as it seeks to encourage foreign investment in U.S. manufacturing while insisting the jobs go to American workers.
Hyundai Motor Co. President and CEO Jose Muñoz told the outlet: “The U.S. is strategically important for the mid- to long-term, and our plans of investment continue, okay? But it’s something that needs to be resolved to be able to go fast.”
“Production at the battery plant will likely be delayed 2 to 3 months based on what happened as the technical experts installing and validating [the equipment] have left,” Muñoz said, adding that a 3-month delay is “assuming some people will be able to come back and help, well, because the knowledge is not here.”
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that a deal had been reached with Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the release and repatriation of the detained South Korean nationals who were apprehended last week in Georgia, Yonhap News first reported. A chartered flight to repatriate the South Koreans left earlier on Thursday.
Cho met with executives from major South Korean companies operating in the U.S., including Hyundai, LG, and Samsung. He told them that South Korean officials are actively discussing with U.S. counterparts and lawmakers’ potential legislation to establish a separate visa quota for South Korean professionals, the ministry said.
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