Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Seoul watches closely as US immigration crackdown unnerves Korean residents
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detain a man after conducting a raid at the Cedar Run apartment complex in Denver, Colo., Feb. 5. Reuters-Yonhap
By Lee Hyo-jin
The Korean government is closely monitoring the U.S. government's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, as the sweeping raids are fueling growing anxiety within Korean communities there.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is coordinating with the Korean Embassy in Washington to assess the situation and provide support to those affected.
"We are closely tracking the developments and communicating with our diplomatic missions there to prepare necessary response measures,” a ministry official told The Korea Times.
Officials at the Korean Embassy in Washington are reportedly reaching out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for updates on the executive orders. They are also keeping Korean residents updated on developments and advising them to contact the embassy or relevant authorities immediately if they face deportation.
The embassy is also reportedly preparing to offer consular assistance to those affected, including providing a list of lawyers and interpreters. Additionally, it may help with passport reissuance or provide emergency travel certificates for people opting to return to Korea.
However, Korean diplomats appear to be taking a cautious approach, as the issue is seen as a matter of U.S. internal affairs, limiting the scope for diplomatic engagement.
In the weeks following President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, his administration’s strengthened border policies —implemented through a series of executive orders — have sparked widespread unrest among immigrant communities in the United States.
The Trump administration says the measures are necessary to protect national security, uphold the rule of law and ensure that people who enter or remain in the U.S. illegally are held accountable, particularly those with criminal backgrounds or who pose a threat to public safety.
The sweeping measures include mass arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants, the termination of temporary legal protections and the suspension of refugee applications.
Several reports suggest that ICE raids are expanding beyond undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions to include those with uncertain immigration status. The raids have reportedly focused on places like schools, churches and hospitals.
Approximately 150,000 Koreans — about 1.4 percent of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. — are living without proper documentation, including an estimated 20,000 Korean adoptees whose status remains unresolved due to the failure of adoption agencies or their adoptive parents to complete necessary paperwork.
Concerns within the Korean community have intensified following the first reported arrest on Feb. 1 of a Korean national under the new crackdown. The individual, who had been living without documentation in Atlanta, was convicted of possessing sexually explicit material involving minors, according to the White House.
Korea’s foreign ministry said it is providing consular support to the arrested individual.
Meanwhile, some cautiously predict that mass deportations of Koreans appear unlikely at this stage, given that immigration policies are currently focused on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Also, the situation surrounding the sweeping raids remains fluid, as the executive orders continue to face legal challenges and public backlash.
Three federal judges have temporarily blocked an executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, viewing it as unconstitutional. Civil rights groups and religious organizations have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.