Why Is the US Government Deporting People Building Factories?

美国政府为何驱逐建厂的人?

The Global Story

2025-09-09

26 分钟
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Hundreds of workers, most of them South Korean nationals, were detained last week at a Hyundai plant in Georgia after the largest immigration raid of Trump’s second term. The raid puts two of the administration’s key priorities to the test - cracking down on illegal immigration and bringing manufacturing back to America - but has it exposed a conflict between the two policy goals? We speak to BBC Verify US Correspondent Nick Beake who has been to the site, and to Jake Kwon from the BBC Seoul bureau, about whether this has jeopardised relations between the US and one of its major trading partners. Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin Executive producers: James Shield and Annie Brown Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Image: US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG plant in Georgia. Shutterstock/EPA
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  • Tristan, you know,

  • the first time I heard about this manufacturing facility in Georgia was three years ago.

  • It was back in 2022.

  • I was then covering the White House and President Biden took his first big diplomatic trip to Asia.

  • and the first stop he made was South Korea.

  • He was visiting a number of manufacturing facilities,

  • and I remember he made this specific announcement.

  • It's great to be here to announce the more than $10 billion in new investment in American manufacturing.

  • A pledge from the carmaker Hyundai that it would be making electric vehicles in Savannah, Georgia.

  • Investment opened a new factory near Savannah,

  • Georgia is going to create more than 8,000 new American jobs.

  • And that that plant would in theory bring thousands of jobs to the United States.

  • The workers in Georgia who will build these plants and manufacture this new electric battery technology means economic opportunity for an awful lot of Americans.

  • President Biden, thank you so much for taking the time on your visits to Korea.

  • And this was the image of the US-South Korea relationship.

  • South Korea was investing more money in the US economy than any other country.