When Youngjin looked through his workspace window and saw security trucks and immigration officers moving about carrying guns, he was surprised, but unconcerned.
This South Korean individual was convinced it was nothing to do with him. Youngjin was in the US only for a short period on a short-term visa, he reflected to himself.
Then, the weapon-carrying agents burst into his space and ordered him outside. They handcuffed him, before connecting chains to his waist and legs, and loaded him onto a vehicle headed for a detention facility.
"I panicked and my mind froze. I felt sick," he told during a discussion, now returned in South Korea.
"I couldn't understand why I was being treated in this manner."
Youngjin is among of more than 300 South Korean workers who were arrested in the American state of the Southern state earlier this month, in among of the biggest immigration raids of Donald Trump's presidency so far. Youngjin and fellow detainees interviewed for this report didn't want to reveal their real names to protect their identity.
'Helicopters and Drones… People Carrying Guns
American officials at first stated the individuals had been in the country without authorization on improper documents, but later the parties reached a agreement permitting them to leave voluntarily without any consequences, so they could come back to work there in the future.
Most of the personnel were in the US for a short time, assisting to build an EV power plant run by a pair of South Korean firms, an automaker and a tech giant – part of a US initiative to encourage foreign businesses to invest and produce more in the states.
The company indicated that many of its employees who were detained had various kinds of visas or were under a permit-free arrangement. Therefore they were particularly shocked by the raid.
"We just stepped outside for a short pause and I could see a lot of people, officials with weapons. As South Koreans, we just thought they were here to arrest lawbreakers, but then, they abruptly started arresting us," said another detainee, who was also detained that day.
He said they tried to explain who they were, but they were terrified: "We saw helicopters and unmanned aircraft, armoured trucks… people with firearms."
There were some agents aiming weapons at us, he claimed. "Are you familiar with those red dots that come out from those firearms? It was so alarming that some people were trembling in fear."
Including those who managed to provide their visa details said they were arrested. "I believed everything would be resolved but on the contrary, they without warning shackled us," said Mr Kim involved, who only wanted to give his last name.
Chul-yong said there was a restraint around his ankles and another around his body, linked to handcuffs. "They were so constricting, I was unable to touch my face with my hands."
Each of them said they had no idea why this was happening, or where they were being transported. "Eventually I discovered that I was detained at the a specific ICE Processing Center," mentioned the software engineer. Chul-yong had been planning to remain for about a month but was arrested on his sixth day there.
The Conditions Were Freezing... Drinking Water Had an Odor Like Wastewater'
Youngjin, a specialist and contract worker for LG, was planned to be there for over a month to train personnel to operate some of the specialist high-tech equipment.
The 30-year-old was shaking, even clearly upset, as he described his transfer to the holding centre and locked in a cell with 60-70 other people.
"I had a panic attack. I just remained there shaking," he said. The area was freezing, and the recent individuals were not given coverings for the first two days, he noted.
"I was wearing light clothing, so I put my limbs inside my garments and wrapped myself in a cloth to try to stay heated at night," he said. "The worst part was the liquid. It had an odor reminiscent of waste. We consumed as minimally as possible."
Those bunk beds were all occupied, Chul-yong said, by the time he got there, forcing him and others to find any empty spot to sleep, including an empty surface where they could lay their head down.
"We tried to rest wherever possible, truly. It was very cold. There were people who found packaged bread, heated it up in the oven, hugging it throughout the night."
During the first few days, the worker had no idea how much time he would be detained for. He worried it might be months. Only after a number of the workers were able to meet attorneys and consular officials, that they understand their government was working with the US officials to get them released.
"Including the US authorities feels it may have been a somewhat too far," the nation's lead trade negotiator told the media after returning from the US. Seoul states it is now reviewing potential civil abuses during the raid by American authorities.
Trump recognized the need to have specialists from abroad train up American workers, and as per South Korean representatives, US Deputy Official of State a senior diplomat has expressed his "sincere apologies" over the event.
Nevertheless, it has damaged ties between the US and South Korea, usually close partners, especially since it came soon on the heels of a trade deal in which Korean companies pledged to contribute $350 billion in the US.
Mr Kim believed his work was allowed by his business visa - and argued it made little logic for the officials to detain many of people without clarifying their functions in the plant.
Another individual, who was in the US on a three-month visa waiver programme, is adamant he committed nothing wrong. "I only attended discussions and gave training sessions," he said, explaining this was within the terms of the arrangement. "My confidence in the United States has been deeply undermined. I don't think it's a reliable ally for South Korea."
Although back with his family, the engineer is still struggling to process what occurred to him. At the time he saw them at the airport after arriving to South Korea on Friday night, he said he greeted and {hug
