Trump Says He Was "Not Happy" With Last Year's Immigration Raid at Georgia Hyundai Plant

"Foreign Companies Must Be Allowed to Bring in Their Experts"

Donald Trump, President of the United States, expressed dissatisfaction with the large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid conducted at the Hyundai Motor plant in Georgia last September.

In an interview with the New York Times (NYT) published on the 8th (local time), President Trump referred to the Georgia raid and said he was "not happy" about it.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by UPI News Agency

He voiced concerns that such hostile treatment could discourage foreign companies from investing in the United States, especially in highly competitive global industries where they seek to expand their operations.

President Trump stated that, for foreign companies in specialized industrial sectors wishing to do business in the United States, "They can only open factories or production facilities if we allow them to bring in their experts."

Referring again to the Hyundai Motor raid, he added, "They brought in battery manufacturing experts. Those experts would have taught our employees battery manufacturing techniques and, at some point, would have returned to their home country."

President Trump described his perspective as business pragmatism, but the NYT noted that this stance sharply contrasts with that of his close aide, Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, who has advocated for hardline immigration policies.

Deputy Chief of Staff Miller maintains that not only should illegal immigration be strictly controlled, but that the issuance of skilled worker visas and green cards should also be significantly restricted, arguing that they pose a threat to American-born workers.

However, when asked whether he disagreed with Miller's views, President Trump refrained from criticizing him personally and instead described him positively as "a very strong voice in the administration." He also said, "He believes that people coming to our country should love our country and be able to contribute."

The NYT pointed out that Deputy Chief of Staff Miller set a goal early last year to arrest 3,000 immigrants per day, and that this was cited as one of the factors leading ICE to carry out large-scale workplace raids such as the one at the Hyundai Motor plant.

In September of last year, ICE arrested and detained around 450 workers, including 317 Koreans, at the construction site of the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint venture battery plant in Savannah, Georgia. Early last year, Deputy Chief of Staff Miller set a goal of arresting 3,000 immigrants per day, and some have argued that this target was a key factor driving large-scale workplace raids like the one at the Hyundai Motor plant in Georgia.