U.S. Immigration Warnings Raise Concerns for Korean Workers

More than 300 Korean workers arrested at the Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution joint battery plant construction site in the United States remain in custody, even as a top U.S. immigration official warned, “We will see far more enforcement operations.” His remarks suggest that other companies building factories in the U.S. could face similar issues, even after these workers return home. Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Yong-beom said Seoul communicated the public’s outrage to Washington in the strongest possible terms.

Tom Homan, former head of U.S. Border Security under the Trump administration, told an interview, “We will carry out more enforcement operations. Illegal stay is a crime.” His statement indicates that Korean companies in shipbuilding, semiconductors, automotive, secondary batteries, and steel could face obstacles in executing local investment plans.

Korean specialists and workers are essential for operating manufacturing facilities in the U.S., as labor shortages make local recruitment difficult. Tightened visa screening has made it extremely hard to obtain professional work visas or expatriate assignments. Many of the arrested Korean workers held short-term business visas for meetings or contracts, or electronic travel authorizations (ESTA) for tourism.

After the arrests, companies recalled dispatched employees and suspended business trips, but these measures are temporary fixes. While the Korean government has pledged $350 billion in U.S. investment funds and $150 billion in corporate investments, it did not adequately address related visa issues. Seoul must now urgently conduct a full survey of dispatched corporate and partner employees, including their visa status, and secure guarantees that the 300 returning workers will not face penalties when reentering the U.S.

It is regrettable that Korean negotiators did not secure expanded worker visas during past Korea-U.S. summits. Experts also argue that Korea, like Australia or Chile, should have obtained separate professional visa quotas under the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. Leveraging U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that “if there is no workforce in the U.S., experts must be brought in and train people in the U.S.,” Korea must now pursue a fundamental solution to visa issues for workers dispatched as part of expanded Korea-U.S. economic cooperation.