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Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, visits London on September 8 to attend a Five Eyes ministers’ meeting on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. / Source: Reuters·Yonhap News

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on September 8 that most Korean workers held at an immigration detention facility in the state of Georgia were detained for ignoring “removal orders,” while “a few” are linked to criminal activity and will face the consequences, according to AP and other outlets.

Speaking in London, where she attended a meeting of Five Eyes homeland security ministers, Noem said Koreans who ignored removal orders would be deported.

The Korean government has said it is close to an agreement with the Trump administration for the workers to return under voluntary departure, which would avoid future entry disadvantages. On that basis, Noem’s reference to “deportation” can be interpreted as voluntary departure.

However, those “few” with criminal allegations may be excluded from voluntary departure. It remains unclear whether that “few” are Korean nationals or detainees of other nationalities held alongside them.

Noem’s mention of “ignoring removal orders” could be a general reiteration of the administration’s repeated calls for unlawful migrants to depart voluntarily. But if U.S. authorities had alerted companies to workers’ status before the raids and Korean firms nonetheless disregarded those notices, the fallout could be significant.

Noem argued the episode will not dampen investment in the United States by Korea or others.

She said it is a good opportunity to ensure that “all companies coming to the United States know the rules of the game,” adding she does not believe the situation will deter investment.

She also said the U.S. encourages all firms that want to contribute to the economy and hire in America “to employ U.S. citizens, follow U.S. laws, and bring in people who want to work the right way.”

Reuters likewise reported that Noem defended U.S. immigration enforcement against Korean companies as adherence to the law, saying Washington’s strong measures could inspire other countries to act similarly.