Seoul: A chartered Korean Air Co. plane is set to depart for the United States this week to repatriate hundreds of South Korean workers detained in an extensive immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution Ltd. battery plant construction site in Georgia, industry sources said Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Korean Air is preparing to deploy a Boeing 747-8i aircraft as early as Wednesday. The flight will leave from Incheon International Airport, bound for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The aircraft, which can accommodate 368 passengers, will have sufficient capacity for the more than 300 South Koreans detained in the raid. The charter plane will initially fly empty to the U.S. and is expected to return from Atlanta late Wednesday (local time) at the earliest, bringing the released workers back to Incheon.
The detained South Korean nationals will be transported from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Folkston, Georgia, which is located approximately 428 kilometers from Atlanta.
The immigration crackdown occurred last Thursday at a construction site for an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, a project of a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution Ltd. joint venture in Bryan County, near Savannah, Georgia. The raid led to the arrest of 475 people, including the Korean workers, who were reportedly working illegally in the U.S. with many holding short-term or recreational visas that do not allow employment.
South Korea has been working to repatriate the detained workers, with the option for them to voluntarily leave the U.S. rather than face deportation. Initially, U.S. immigration authorities had offered two choices: immediate deportation with a five-year entry ban or a lengthy trial while detained.
The incident has raised significant concerns among South Korean companies about the reliability of the U.S. as a destination for South Korean investments. This situation has reportedly prompted many businesses to reevaluate the risks and the broader political climate for conducting business in America.