'Bring very smart people legally': Trump's warning to foreign companies after Hyundai plant raid; asks them to respect laws

In a stern warning, US President Donald Trump on Sunday called upon the foreign countries investing in America to abide by immigration laws.

Trump's statement came after around 475 illegal workers were arrested after federal immigration authorities raided the Hyundai plant in Georgia. Many of the detained workers were South Korean citizens.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, the US president welcomed foreign investments but insisted compliance with American immigration law is non-negotiable.

"Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws," he wrote.

Trump further said that investments in US are welcome, urging companies to bring their people "LEGALLY."

"Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers," he added in the post.

"Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he said.

Following the arrest of South Korean workers, law enforcement officials said that the raid was conducted after a months-long investigation into suspicions of unlawful employment practices at the plant. The HL-GA Battery Co plant, is a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group.

The South Korean government on Sunday reached an agreement with US following diplomatic talks to free the Korean workers and fly them back.

However, many details of the raid, including what the investigation found, are unclear.