Hyundai hoped to repatriate skilled South Korean workers to the United States after the ICE raid. Trump just opened the door

After ICE raided a still-under-construction Georgia Hyundai plant in September — and arrested and deported hundreds of South Korean workers — the automaker’s CEO, José Muñoz, said he hoped for a resolution that could bring crucial expertise of foreign workers back to the United States.

President Donald Trump agreed Monday, saying he was “very opposed” to the raid carried out by members of his administration.

“Actually, before they came out… I said they could stay… and they would come back,” he said. “When they come in, they’re making machines, equipment, very complex things. They’re going to have to bring in staff, at least in this initial phase.”

Trump made the comments on Air Force One as he traveled to Asia for a meeting with world leaders, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who expressed concerns about the raid. As a result, Lee said he was skeptical about the future of South Korean investments in the United States.

On Friday, Lee said Bloomberg that he understood that many workers did not want to return to the United States.

“It also caused serious trauma to the workers and I heard that some workers did not want to go home,” he said. “If we do not take steps to ensure the safety and rational treatment of these workers, it is likely that factory construction in the United States will be significantly delayed.”

But Lee said he expects a deal with the United States “in the not too distant future.”

The expelled workers were not Hyundai employees but worked for its subcontractors and LG Energy Solutions, its South Korean partner in the factory. Muñoz said that while the workers should not have come here without the proper work visas, U.S. law needed to be changed to allow this type of work. Muñoz also said last month that he expected an agreement between the two countries soon.

“What I have learned over the last few days and weeks is that the activities at this particular battery factory require very specific expertise that does not exist in the country,” Muñoz told CNN during a media roundtable in September. “I think there needs to be a visa specifically designed for these types of people who may need to enter the country five, six, six, seven times. Once the factory is finished, they don’t come back.”

“I think both governments, South Korea and the United States, are actively working to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again,” Muñoz added.

Hyundai did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s latest remarks.

The raid and deportation sparked anger in South Korea and while appearing before investors and journalists in New York, Muñoz apologized to workers for what they experienced with their arrests and deportations.