South Korean officials say that a charter plane currently stationed at the Atlanta airport will take detained South Korean factory employees back following ICE raids at Hyundai Motor Co.'s (OTC:HYMLF) Georgia battery plant.
The Detainees Will Depart Thursday Afternoon
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said that the aircraft, a Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) 787-i operated by Korean Air, arrived in Georgia on Wednesday and will depart with the Korean nationals on Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
The ministry said that the plane wasn't able to depart on the same day due to unspecified reasons from the U.S. government despite South Korea's wishes, the report said.
South Korean officials have also said that the U.S. has yet to meet demands for an improvement in the visa system, which could accommodate skilled South Korean workers, despite urging investments from South Korean companies in the country, the report said.
Respect Immigration Laws, Says Trump And Crackdown On Immigration
The news comes as President Donald Trump had asked foreign companies operating in the U.S. to respect the country's immigration laws after ICE detained over 475 individuals from the factory, most of whom were South Korean nationals.
The raid also comes in as the administration is cracking down on immigration after an undocumented truck driver had made an illegal U-turn on a highway in Florida, which led to three fatalities. The incident followed the government’s cancellation of all visas held by foreign truck drivers in the U.S.
Hyundai-GM Partnership, GM And LG Batteries
The raid also follows a strategic partnership announced by General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) and Hyundai, which will see the two companies introduce over 5 new models, the first of which will leave the factory lots in 2028.
GM has also partnered with LG Energy Solutions to manufacture and supply LFP batteries for the company's most affordable Chevrolet Bolt EV in 2027, which will be available for $30,000 in the U.S.
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