The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided LG Energy Solution-Hyundai's joint battery plant in Georgia (HL-GA Battery Company), detaining hundreds of Koreans, leaving other domestic companies that have entered the U.S. looking flustered. Major corporations in Korea, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, plan to invest trillions to tens of trillions of won according to the demands of the Donald Trump administration.
The semiconductor and domestic battery industries, which are currently building factories, have begun internal inspections in preparation for additional enforcement by ICE, predicting that delays in the completion of business sites are inevitable.
ICE and others conducted enforcement against illegal immigrants at the HL-GA Battery Company on the 4th (local time). A total of about 300 people were detained, including 47 from LG Energy Solution (46 Korean nationals and 1 Indonesian national) and about 250 individuals from affiliated equipment suppliers related to the HL-GA Battery Company.
There are predictions that the semiconductor and battery industries will suffer significantly if U.S. immigration authorities strengthen their enforcement. So far, it has been customary for people to enter the U.S. with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and handle simple business tasks. The detention of around 300 Koreans during the ICE enforcement on the 4th was primarily because most of them did not have the necessary visas to work in the factory.
Semiconductors and batteries require high yield (the ratio of finished products) and thus should involve specialized personnel from Korea. However, obtaining specialty employment (H-1B) visas or expatriate (L1·E2) visas takes several months, and delays in personnel dispatches are expected due to this enforcement.
An industry insider noted, "It takes a long time to achieve yield in the semiconductor or battery fields, and yield does not immediately improve just by inputting machines or personnel. The know-how possessed by specialized personnel is crucial."
Samsung Electronics is investing $37 billion (approximately 51 trillion won) to expand its foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) plant in Taylor, Texas. While exterior construction is mostly completed, various equipment for semiconductor production has yet to be installed. SK hynix is also investing $3.87 billion (approximately 5.3 trillion won) to establish a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging plant and research and development facilities in Indiana, aiming for mass production by 2028, with construction yet to begin.
An industry insider stated, "Due to the characteristics of the semiconductor industry, the decision to input internal equipment is made after securing business orders. We must choose equipment and facilities according to the needs of the clients, which makes it difficult to hire local U.S. personnel." He added, "It takes several months to obtain specialized employment (H-1B) visas, making it unclear not only when the completion date will be but also the execution of future investment plans."
The battery industry is also inspecting whether there are issues with visa issuance and confirming enforcement matters. SK On is currently building joint battery plants with U.S. automakers Ford and Hyundai. The joint battery plant with Hyundai, into which a total of 7 trillion won is being invested, is currently about 90% complete, aiming to be operational in the first half of next year. SK On has decided to build two battery plants in Kentucky and one plant in Tennessee with Ford, with a total scale of 15.9 trillion won.
Samsung SDI has established a joint venture, "StarPlus Energy," with automaker Stellantis and is constructing two joint battery plants in Indiana. It is also building a joint battery plant with General Motors, aiming for operation by 2027.
An industry insider stated, "We are also checking the visa issuance status of our partners. We will continuously monitor to prevent similar cases from occurring in potential additional enforcements."