Tip Sheets
South Korean deportations may discourage countries from investing in US
September 11, 2025
Media Contact
Adam Allington
South Korea has chartered a plane to fly more than 300 workers who were rounded up by ICE at an electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia last week back to South Korea. Now, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that if Washington does not ease visa requirements, businesses from his country would hesitate to build new factories here.
Arthur Wheaton
Director of Labor Studies, ILR School
Art Wheaton, director of labor studies at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, says it sends a chilling message to other would-be foreign investors.
Wheaton says:
“It’s not a good look when the South Korean government has to charter a plane to bring its citizens home over alleged visa inconsistencies. It sends a message to other potential foreign investors that building plants here carries risk of arrest or detainment.
“It is standard industry practice to send experts from another country to set up and install new high-tech equipment. It is especially common when the equipment has patents or other sensitive information like battery cells for electric vehicles. My understanding is that few if any Hyundai full-time employees were detained. Many were outside contractors or worked for the joint venture partner LG.
“These jobs are difficult for new American workers to do if they haven’t been trained on the highly sensitive technology. Much like computer chips or military equipment, these electric vehicle battery chemistries are highly secure and sensitive.”
