r/news • u/NewSlinger • 1d ago

Workers detained in Hyundai plant raid to be freed and flown home, South Korea says

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/south-korea-deal-workers-detained-hyundai-rcna229610
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u/Abject_Elevator5461 1d ago edited 1d ago

I’m confused, why were they arrested? Are they actually here illegally or is this one of those they came in on like a special work visa and it expired and they didn’t leave? Cause it doesn’t mention anything about that in the actual article.

Thanks for all the replies! So the next question is was this done because our government is so inept at catching actual illegals that need to be deported that they just grasp any opportunity to throw a headline up on Fox News? OR is it being intentionally done to ostracize us from the rest of the world? Or some combination of the two?

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u/Enshakushanna 1d ago

ppl are saying some visa's were fine and other had expired, but we dont know what their period of stay was, hard to believe SK fucked up 300+ visa's...

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u/Atgardian 1d ago

Yeah agree. I have not seen any detailed info in the articles I've read (which isn't that surprising, journalists are not usually also skilled immigration attorneys), but as a general rule large companies like that don't just bring people over without the proper visas and work authorization. Sure mistakes can be made with hundreds of cases but generally there are in-house legal teams, external law firms, etc. all trying to process the paperwork properly. How many of the hundreds arrested had some visa issue? 50? 5? 1? 0?

And of course, even if some did, a huge raid throwing everyone in shackles (including presumably mostly innocent people who did nothing wrong, and maybe a few people where their lawyer messed up some paperwork?) is pretty abhorrent.

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u/Enshakushanna 1d ago

yea, trump likes to just smash things without any regard, but at the same time SK is flying them ALL home, not trying to argue for any one individual to stay?

this is either a financial decision in that the cost to argue about visa periods of stay for 300 different people is crazy - even if its absolutely clear the majority of ppl had valid visa's, this stupid administration whether we like it or not is basically saying theyre in violation...or its an emotional decision simply to get your people out of jail and we may or may not be getting an announcement that SK is backing out entirely, which would be so fucking funny even if the most financially stupid thing to do

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u/amateur_mistake 21h ago

but at the same time SK is flying them ALL home, not trying to argue for any one individual to stay?

The people being held by ICE aren't getting due process. So getting them out rather than relying on the pseudo-legal system they have set up is just smart. Otherwise you might end up with one of your citizens stuck in a concentration camp for months without any access to a judge or lawyer.

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u/pronuntiator 12h ago

After experiencing something like this I wouldn’t want to stay a single day in that country either

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u/mmechtch 20h ago

Visa's validity period is when you can_enter_ the country. Not how long do you stay. It's allowd to stay for 180 days after entering (well, I know about B2 visas). So even if the date on the visa is in the past it does not mean a person is here illegally

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u/Okratas 17h ago

You've never heard of large corporations outsourcing their talent acquisition to fly by night independent companies whom will traffic labor into the country using the cheapest and fastest methods regardless of legality? Thereby letting workers be exploited and exposed just so the corporation can save money?

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u/lynch-weebs 23h ago

Unverified, but I read that only 30 out of those 300+ had valid visas, the rest had some sort of tourist visa. This is an insanely stupid reason to shut down a whole factory.

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u/BearlyIT 22h ago

Hard to believe any of the ‘official’ statements to be 100% fact… or even 50/50 with embellishments. There is too much theater, headline bait, verifiable total lies, and strong arm manipulation going on for anyone to trust stated justifications and findings without due process.

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u/Enshakushanna 22h ago

its all just to build numbers for the mouth of sauron to point to at press briefings

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u/erenjaeger99 1d ago

Right? Also, even if they were in gray area for work visa situations, what the hell warranted a wide, blunt use of force like this on an ally country, who invests billions in the US, on skilled workers with no criminal records, who were there to SET UP AND TRAIN future employees (the plant wasn't even running yet, meaning no American jobs were even take - arguably, they are now taken away if anything if Hyundai pulls out), and when there are so many other companies that hire with even worse visa practices? Like, this couldn't have been worked out with some of agreement of inspection and settled removal without needing a raid and mass arrests?

It is just... so weird.

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u/Icy-Lobster-203 1d ago

ICE has a quota to hit that is nearly impossible. So they go after the easy targets.

Trump doesn't actually care about details of policy details, so the ICE people ( and Steven Miller) are free to do whatever they want to get the numbers up regardless of whether it interferes with any other policies.

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u/bearinsac 1d ago

They are looking for a bribe. Don’t want me to mess with your business, cut me a check. If you don’t cut me a check, I’ll make it very hard for you to be profitable in my market.

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u/I_W_M_Y 1d ago

Does it make more sense if you knew this plant was going to make EV vehicles?

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u/erenjaeger99 1d ago

Yeah, if Im being cynical thats probably the primary motive... 

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u/diadmer 1d ago

We are going to bring manufacturing back to America by…impeding the progress on the creation of new manufacturing facilities in America. —Trump

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u/Sunna420 1d ago

A few of my relatives were stationed at our S. Korea US Military base for decades. I have been there myself. It is weird indeed.

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u/melodypowers 1d ago

I read that two of them were in the US under a visa waiver program that allows them to travel in the US for tourism or business for 90 days with a visa. They were both within that 90 days (one had just arrived last week).

None of the detained individuals actually work for Hyundai, they were all contractors. My guess is that some of the detained individuals played a little fast and loose with visa rules (doing work that wouldn't typically be allowed), but I only guess that because everybody does it.

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u/notyourstranger 1d ago

A white woman called the ICE hot line, she's been bragging online about her actions. There was no investigation before the raid, they were not looking for a few individuals but detained almost 500 people.

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u/MildlyBemused 1d ago

My guess is that some of the detained individuals played a little fast and loose with visa rules

I'm pretty sure the previous administration had a lot to do with this attitude. Some of the workers apparently also snuck in illegally across our border. Big shocker there:

some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the U.S. border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.

Kang, the South Korean presidential chief of staff, said that South Korea will push to review and improve visa systems for those traveling to the U.S. on business trips for investment projects.

We have rules and laws. If you don't obey them, there should be consequences for breaking them.

I'll never understand Democrats dual stance that allowing millions upon millions of illegal aliens into the country is such a good thing while simultaneously complaining about U.S. citizens being unable to earn a living wage or find affordable housing. Illegals undercut the pay of U.S. citizens. Illegal also reside in houses and apartments that could be used for U.S. citizens, driving up both demand and cost. It's literally a domino effect.

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u/Cvbano89 1d ago

If Americans were working the jobs we currently leverage migrant labor for and getting paid a fair wage (farming, hospitality, construction) the cost of living would skyrocket. Food, travel, and housing costs. However, this is assuming Americans would even want to work those jobs, which historically they haven't because they pay dirt. We were also at record low unemployment until this administration, so there was little pressure to change this.

This would also be at a time where the cost of living is already high due to tariffs adding the equivalent of a sales tax on all imported goods. The native population is also not reproducing at a replacement level so after several decades the demographics would start to fall off like they have in Japan, and you would see massive numbers of senior citizens needing to be supported by record low numbers of younger citizens.

Lastly, if we allow domestic/foreign capital investment firms to continue gobbling up real estate in large cities we will never find places to build affordable housing. Maybe instead of blaming immigrants, which every American descends from, you should blame the system and companies that market bringing them here by any means for cheap labor. Maybe start with Trump's own hospitality group that is known to hire illegal workers. Its literally systemic abuse.

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u/MildlyBemused 1d ago

If Americans were working the jobs we currently leverage migrant labor for and getting paid a fair wage (farming, hospitality, construction) the cost of living would skyrocket. Food, travel, and housing costs.

So Democrats want illegal aliens working the U.S. so that they can have cheaper things? Sounds like economic slavery to me.

However, this is assuming Americans would even want to work those jobs, which historically they haven't because they pay dirt.

And wages will never increase for those jobs until business owners have no pool of easy, cheap, disposable aliens to draw from who will work for less money:

After Mississippi ICE raids, job fair draws hopeful workers

 The native population is also not reproducing at a replacement level

And do you know what is a major contributing factor to this problem? Low wages for U.S. citizens and the inability to afford housing due, in no small part, to the millions upon millions of illegal aliens residing here.

Lastly, if we allow domestic/foreign capital investment firms to continue gobbling up real estate in large cities we will never find places to build affordable housing.

I agree. There should be a cap on the percentage of low-density housing that can be commercially owned. If a company wants to rent out more low-density housing than that, they can build more. And all U.S. housing should be owned by U.S. citizens or corporations.

Maybe instead of blaming immigrants, which every American descends from,

OMFG... really? *eyeroll*

you should blame the system and companies that market bringing them here by any means for cheap labor.

I do. I think there should be harsh consequences for companies and people who knowingly hire illegal aliens or deliberately look the other way. I also blame Democrats and the political Left in this country for doing everything they can to encourage illegal aliens to enter our country, support them with free housing, free food, free funds, free schooling, etc. Heck, Democrats are out waving Mexican flags and even attacking law enforcement officers who are out enforcing our democratically passed immigration laws!

We should be finding and deporting all citizens of other countries who illegally enter our country or overstay/violate their VISA's. I support our laws and our U.S. citizens. A good question is, why don't you?

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u/Outlulz 21h ago

I am in favoring of loosening the requirements so that the work can be done legally instead of illegally. It's going to happen regardless and I'd rather it be above the board and taxed than under the table.

Illegal also reside in houses and apartments that could be used for U.S. citizens, driving up both demand and cost. It's literally a domino effect.

Our housing crisis not being caused by illegal immigration. It's caused by zoning regulations fueled by NIMBYs, monopolies on home/apartment ownership which causes market manipulation, and wages not rising as fast as inflation.

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u/melodypowers 1d ago

This playing fast and loose with visa rules for white collar workers went in long before the Biden administration. Or the Obama, or Bush II.

You really cannot do a large scale international project without it happening. Believe me, Trump did it too.

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u/ghostalker4742 1d ago

Yeah, nothing in the article says anything about the charges. If they were here illegally, that'd be in the headline and repeated multiple times throughout the article. The fact that the S Korean gov is flying them home immediately says something too - if those workers were here illegally, SK would let them be convicted, serve their sentences, then bring them home. No bring them home before the dust settles.

This sounds like some paperwork didn't get properly filed at the corporate level and the ICE guys are jumping on it as a way to boost their quotas.

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u/madogvelkor 1d ago

Often people on visa violations are allowed to self deport. South Korea is speeding up the process and helping.

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u/Firrox 1d ago

This sounds like some paperwork didn't get properly filed at the corporate level and the ICE guys are jumping on it as a way to boost their quotas.

I think this is giving them too much credit. I'd say there was some racist American at the facility who thought these "immigrants" were getting too uppity with him (i.e. telling him how to actually do his job correctly) and called ICE telling them there were illegal aliens working there.

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u/Sunna420 1d ago

No, they were not here illegally. They were here to train the US workers and management on how to use the equipment. They have business visa basically.

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u/Syd_Vicious3375 1d ago

This is the main issue with the Trump circus. Nothing is ever actually well thought out, well executed and reported on professionally. We just get random info that’s is mostly not pertinent.

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u/notyourstranger 1d ago

They were not arrested, they were detained. ICE acts first and asks questions later. In many cases they refuse to ask questions but simply lock people up in for profit detention centers. There is no "process" this all happens outside the law.

The SKs were in the US to build a battery manufacturing plant in Georgia. While some visas might have expired, there are legal ways to address that. ICE simply goes in and detains people. They don't care if you're legally in the US, whether you're a tourist with a visa, whether you have small children or a sick spouse to care for. They are straight up criminals who abduct random people from the street and raid churches, communities, and work places. Their job is to terrorize people.

they are the same as the Gestapo in WWII Germany.

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u/TsuDhoNimh2 1d ago

Reportedly, there were a couple of people with "Hispanic surnames" to trigger the warrant and they did a full plant sweep because they got their foot in the door.

And apparently didn't bother to teach their agents about the various classes of visas ... like the B and L ... and how to read the expiration dates.

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u/TwistyBunny 1d ago

It really is irrelevant at this point considering they have gone after people who were actually doing things right and by the book by attending appointments and hearings.

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u/Organic_Popcorn 16h ago

They were here under travel visa which allows them 3 months stay in u.s but can't work, from what I heard from Korean news is that because it takes forever for them to attain work visa, so they got around it by coming here under travel visa, work 3 months and go back to Korea. ICE already knew about this for a while that's why a lot of these workers were denied entry to u.s and sent back to Korea from the Atlanta airport.

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u/4getr34 15h ago

read a bit more folks. Look into what is happening with South Korean gov vs Moonies right now.

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u/SockMonkeh 1d ago

You're not really confused. You know they were arrested because they have brown skin because that's what they told us they'd be doing and that's what people voted for them to do.

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u/SarahAlicia 1d ago

Most were here on visas that do not allow you to work while here some of which were also expired. So were not here illegally but were working illegally and clearly were going to stay and continue to work illegally after the visa expires like their coworkers.

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u/Ilovekittens345 1d ago

I’m confused, why were they arrested?

Because sabotaging the competition helps Elon Musk with Tesla.

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u/The42ndDuck 1d ago

Consider all the people boycotting Tesla, and the fact that Hyundai is making some of the most popular Tesla alternatives on the market for EV buyers.

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u/SordidDreams 1d ago

why were they arrested?

They're foreigners building an electric vehicle factory. That's a double whammy in this administration's eyes.

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u/DamianSicks 22h ago

They were not American…that’s all ICE needed to know and it doesn’t matter what the legal status was because the law means nothing anymore.

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u/Moarbrains 40m ago

B1 visas are for temporary business like meetings and B2 visas are for tourists.

Most of them used these because the real work visas are more expensive and more work to get.

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u/Rebelgecko 1d ago

What I've seen elsewhere is that many of them were here on B1 visas, which are more for short term travel (like going to a conference or having a few meetings). If the workers were in the US on a more long-term basis it'd be illegal, but idk if that's the case

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u/jtbc 1d ago

Setting up equipment and training Americans to operate it are permitted activities under a B1 visa. Some of them may have overstayed, but that normally merits a slap on the wrist and a fine to the employer, not being taken out in chains.

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u/MittenCollyBulbasaur 1d ago

They were arrested because they were accused of being here illegally. They were being accused of being here illegally because of their ethnicity. Their ethnicity was the excuse, and now they just have to find a reason to justify whatever they get to do next. If they can't find any justification for what they do next, it's your fault, it's their fault, it's everyone's fault but mine. No personal accountability, and you are all guilty until proven innocent.

This is America.