Exclusive: Hyundai should have called me for visas, Lutnick says
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The workers at a Hyundai-linked plant in Georgia raided by ICE last week had the wrong visas — and the company should have asked for help getting the right ones, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tells Mike Allen in the premiere episode of "The Axios Show."
Why it matters: The images of hundreds of South Korean workers being shackled and hauled off like criminals shocked a close U.S. ally, and raised the question of whether the Trump administration's economic and immigration policies are at odds with each other.
- The administration wants foreign companies to build in the U.S. and hire American workers, but it's just as keen to crack down on foreign labor and make a show of its enforcement priorities.
"The Axios Show" is our new series featuring our top reporters and experts interviewing newsmakers shaping politics, media, business, tech and culture.
Catch up quick: Authorities raided the under-construction plant Sept. 4, rounding up hundreds of people and hauling them off in chains, including approximately 300 South Koreans.
- The images provoked outrage in Seoul, where the government quickly arranged a flight to bring all the workers home voluntarily.
- The workers were released a week later, with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung warning that the raid could chill investment in the U.S.
- Hyundai Motor's CEO told Axios Thursday that the impact of the raid would delay plant construction at least two to three months, given it required expertise that only the Korean workers have.
What he's saying: Lutnick said in the debut episode that fault for the raid lay entirely with Hyundai, which he alleged brought the workers in on tourist visas.
- "I called up the Koreans, I said, oh, give me a break. Get the right visa and if you're having problems getting the right visa, call me. I'll call Kristi Noem," he said, referring to the Homeland Security secretary. "We'll help you get the right visa, but don't do it the wrong way,"
- "You can't do things the old way. Donald Trump requires you to do it correctly. You want to immigrate, you want to bring workers here, go through the right process. You can't skirt the rules anymore. That is over."
Reality check: The right visa, as Lutnick puts it, is hard to come by.
- The H-1B visa for specialized foreign workers, for example, has hundreds of thousands more applicants than available slots, meaning demand far outstrips supply.
- It's also not entirely clear how a company could call up the Commerce secretary and get the right visas in sufficient quantities without the rules being bent somehow.
For the record: Hyundai and the joint venture behind the battery plant, HL-GA Battery Company, both issued statements last week saying they were cooperating with law enforcement.
- The carmaker later said it has "zero tolerance" for those who don't follow the law and said it would launch its own investigation to ensure all suppliers and subcontractors comply with immigration requirements.
- Hyundai declined to respond to Lutnick's comments, pointing to its Sept. 5 statement instead.
What we're watching: Whether this kicks off the chilling effect South Korean leadership warned about.
- Lutnick expressed confidence that the raid wouldn't keep other foreign companies from expanding in the U.S.
- "ICE has got to do its job. And if there are all these people who are in this country on the wrong visa, change it," he said.
Go deeper: Raid at Georgia battery plant points to conflicts in Trump's growth plans
