Start Here Visa Declined: The Battle Over Foreign Workers
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Dec 29, 2025 Selina Wang, ABC Senior White House Correspondent, dives deep into the controversial ICE raid at a Georgia battery plant, showcasing her on-the-ground reporting. She reveals harrowing testimonies from detainees and highlights the dire conditions they faced. The discussion also probes the fallout with South Korea, the balancing act between immigration enforcement and attracting skilled labor, and the ongoing debate over worker visas like H-1B. Wang sheds light on political tensions and the personal aftermath for those caught in this contentious issue.
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Worker Detention At Hyundai LG Plant
- Selina Wang recounts a detainee, "Mr. Kim," who was working as a trainer when ICE agents swarmed the Georgia factory.
- He says they were shackled, held in unsanitary pods, and kept for up to seven days before diplomatic talks secured their return.
Enforcement Vs. Economic Goals
- The raid highlighted a tension between strict immigration enforcement and attracting foreign investment and factories.
- President Trump's immigration crackdown conflicted with his push to bring manufacturing jobs to the U.S.
South Korean Backlash And Business Impact
- Selina Wang describes widespread outrage in South Korea, where people saw the raid as a human-rights affront and diplomatic insult.
- Companies pulled workers and travel fell as foreign firms worried about the safety of their employees in the U.S.