Trump Signals Shift: Willing to Allow ‘Skilled Workers’ to Enter US

Former US President Donald Trump has hinted at a softer stance on immigration following a controversial crackdown at a South Korean-owned battery factory in Georgia.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he wanted to allow foreign companies to bring in “skilled workers” temporarily to train American staff.

“When foreign companies come to the United States and invest massively to build complex products, machines, and technologies, I want them to bring their own experts,” Trump wrote. “They will teach and train our workers for a limited time on how to build these unique and complicated products. Then, they will return to their own countries.”

He added: “If we don’t allow this, then these huge investments will never come — chips, semiconductors, computers, ships, trains, and many other products that we once built very well but now struggle to make.

“Take shipbuilding for example: once we built one ship a day, now building even one ship a year is difficult. I don’t want foreign companies to feel discouraged. We welcome them, we welcome their workers, and we will proudly learn from them — and soon, we’ll do it even better than they can.”

Fallout from Georgia crackdown

Trump’s remarks come days after federal agents raided a Georgia factory, detaining more than 300 workers — 316 of whom were South Korean nationals. Images of the handcuffed workers being taken away sparked outrage in Seoul, with officials calling the scenes “humiliating” and warning of risks to bilateral economic ties.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has demanded reforms in US visa policies. He warned that without guaranteed short-term legal entry for skilled workers, Korean firms would hesitate to make fresh investments in the United States.

“These are not permanent workers,” Lee said. “When building a plant or installing new equipment, companies need technicians. The US lacks such skilled manpower, yet it is not issuing visas. This creates serious difficulties for firms investing in America. Many will start questioning whether they should invest at all.”

Lee also pointed to cultural differences between the two nations. “In South Korea, we often see Americans teaching English in private schools on tourist visas. It happens all the time, and we don’t treat it as a major issue. But the US views it differently. Its immigration authorities strictly enforce laws against illegal work. Our people got caught in that situation.”

Industry and immigration collide

The controversy highlights the intersection of immigration, trade, and industrial policy. The Biden administration has offered subsidies to chipmakers and clean energy firms to attract foreign investment. Yet labour mobility for skilled engineers and technicians remains tightly restricted.

Despite campaigning for years on limiting immigration, Trump is now taking a more pragmatic line, stressing that foreign expertise is essential if America is to stay competitive in advanced industries.