ICE Raid on Hyundai 2

https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2025/09/17/trip-tollison-shares-thoughts-on-hyundai-raid/86171344007/

Tollison said it is imperative they come back, as South Koreans who work for Hyundai Motor Company are the only ones who can install and teach future employees how to use the technology there, such as battery cell equipment.

“You have sophisticated, talented South Koreans here installing battery equipment,” said Tollison. “The frustration, and I feel it too, is that there's no other entity in the world that has this proprietary technology that has to be installed by certain individuals. We are relying on South Korea.”

“It's a minor setback,” said Tollison. “We have all the confidence in the world that they're going to continue to get back on schedule as fast as possible. The agreement is still intact.”

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11-11/national/diplomacy/Koreans-detained-in-Georgia-battery-plant-raid-preparing-class-action-lawsuit-against-ICE/2441737

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11-01/business/industry/Trump-to-prioritize-new-manufacturing-visas-to-safeguard-Korean-workers-Georgia-Gov/2434005

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-09-06/national/diplomacy/Trump-defends-immigration-raid-at-HyundaiLG-battery-plant-in-Georgia/2392929

“They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding he had heard about it just before the news conference.

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-09-07/business/industry/ICE-raid-surfaces-risks-as-Korea-Inc-eyes-largescale-investment-in-United-States/2393302

Korean workers face hurdles in obtaining professional work visas such as H-1B, intracompany transfer visas like L-1 and E-2 or short-term business visas like B-1. 

Acquiring a B-1 visa takes at least 100 days, and smaller subcontractors face even greater difficulties than large contractors due to employment requirements. 

The U.S. State Department said 27.8 percent of B-1 visa applications were rejected last year, meaning more than one in four applicants were turned away after waiting months.

Industry groups have called for a dedicated work visa quota for Korean professionals. The Korea International Trade Association and Korean firms have proposed creating 15,000 E-4 visas annually, similar to quotas already in place for other countries. Australia has 10,500, Singapore 5,400 and Chile 1,400 — but Korea currently has none.

“Visa issues are not something companies can resolve on their own — they require government-to-government talks,” said Chang Sang-sik, head of the International Trade Research Institute at the Korea International Trade Association. “The U.S. government needs to resolve visa bottlenecks for essential personnel if it wants Korean investment projects to proceed smoothly.”

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-10-15/business/industry/A-month-after-ICE-raid-and-detention-LG-Energy-is-bringing-workers-back-to-Georgia/2420786

Industry insiders said uncertainty over business visas has eased after a Korea-U. S. working group confirmed that holders of short-term B-1 visas or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) permits are authorized to perform installation, inspection and maintenance work at U.S. battery plants.

 The U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Seoul published a fact sheet on Oct. 4, clarifying that both B-1 and ESTA holders can legally perform such activities.