Recent admissions by Korean business leaders reveal a troubling pattern of exploiting U.S. visa programs to sneak workers into jobs they’re not legally allowed to perform. This isn’t just a minor oversight; it’s a systemic issue that’s been hiding in plain sight for years.
According to Breitbart, many Korean companies have been using B-1/B-2 visas, meant for tourists and business travelers, to place employees in roles like construction work at American sites. These visas strictly limit the type of work allowed, yet the practice was described as “normal” and “deeply rooted” by a source in Korea’s battery industry.
The issue burst into the open after Trump administration officials detained around 300 Korean workers at a Hyundai factory site in Georgia, funded partly by taxpayer dollars. These workers entered the U.S. via the B-1/B-2 visa or the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), neither of which permits routine labor tasks.
A senior executive from the semiconductor sector told AFP there’s now “a sense of betrayal and anxiety” among Korean business leaders, fearing their companies could be next. If this was so commonplace, why the shock when enforcement finally kicks in?
The raid has sparked outrage in Korea, with nationalist sentiment flaring over the arrest and deportation of these workers. Meanwhile, South Korea’s push for the “Partner with Korea Act,” which would allocate 15,000 visas for skilled professionals, seems to be losing steam amid rising anti-immigration feelings in the U.S.
Hyundai, at the center of this storm, faces additional heat from lawsuits alleging misuse of other visa programs like the TN Visa for Mexican and Canadian graduates. Claims of bait-and-switch tactics, underpayment, and discrimination paint a grim picture of corporate behavior that prioritizes profit over fairness.
Further digging reveals that Hyundai and its suppliers have a history of labor issues, including employing child workers at Alabama factories, as reported by Reuters. State and federal probes are now examining whether this extends across their supply chain in the southern U.S.
Adding to the mess, three workers have lost their lives at Hyundai facilities in the past two years, a tragic outcome the AFL-CIO links to cut corners on safety and the exploitation of immigrant labor. While the union condemns these practices, their simultaneous defense of unauthorized workers muddies the water on accountability.
Korean work culture, often demanding grueling hours, doesn’t help the optics, with business officials recently seeking government approval for 69-hour workweeks. Such expectations clash sharply with American labor standards, raising questions about whether these companies respect the rules of the land they profit from.
Democrats, including over 20 from the Asian caucus and Georgia delegation, have decried the raids as targeting “immigrants at work” rather than violent criminals, accusing the Trump administration of tearing apart families. Their statement conveniently glosses over the fact that these workers were in clear violation of visa terms, prioritizing emotional appeals over legal boundaries.
On the flip side, immigration lawyer Aaron Reichlin-Melnick shrugged off the violations as “technically illegal but virtually never enforced” until now. His casual dismissal, suggesting these workers weren’t “taking American jobs,” ignores the broader impact on wage standards and job opportunities for citizens.
The AFL-CIO’s stance is equally frustrating, rightly blasting Hyundai for unsafe conditions but then pivoting to oppose the “militarized federal crackdown” on workers. This contradictory position undermines the very protections they claim to champion for American labor.
The abuse of visa programs by Korean firms, and the blind eye turned by previous administrations, exposes a broken system that’s been gamed for too long. American workers deserve priority in their own country, not to be sidelined by loopholes exploited under the guise of global partnership.
While empathy is due for workers caught in this mess, often under intense pressure from their employers, the real fix lies in stricter enforcement and closing these visa gaps. Companies like Hyundai must face consequences, not just wrist-slaps, for flouting laws and endangering lives.
This saga is a wake-up call to rethink how foreign labor is managed, ensuring that economic benefits don’t come at the cost of fairness or safety. If we’re serious about protecting both American jobs and vulnerable workers, the rules must be clear, and the penalties must sting.
