Victor Davis Hanson Critiques South Korea’s Response to U.S. Immigration Enforcement
During a recent segment on Fox News, Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, expressed concern over South Korea’s apparent disregard for the sacrifices made by Americans to ensure its freedom. He named the issue as part of a larger conversation regarding how both the world and many Americans perceive the U.S. role in championing liberty.
“I was somewhat surprised by the South Korean government’s reaction,” Hanson remarked. “For 75 years, the U.S. has sacrificed 36,000 lives to create and defend Korea’s freedom. You’d think they’d be more restrained in their criticism, but that hasn’t been the case.” His comments came in light of South Korea’s criticism regarding U.S. immigration enforcement tied to a South Korean battery factory.
Hanson pointed out a significant dilemma, stating, “It’s easy to claim it’s immoral to enforce immigration laws, but when it comes to actual enforcement, it gets complicated. Previous administrations, like those of Obama and Biden, diluted essential measures like e-verify.” He noted that the current administration was attempting to revitalize these measures.
Despite Trump’s efforts to reinforce immigration enforcement, Hanson warned that the focus has shifted unfairly onto federal agents rather than the employers responsible for hiring individuals whose immigration statuses are questionable. “It’s become clear that employers aren’t taking accountability,” he said, suggesting that they remain passive while immigration enforcement faces backlash whenever it correctly does its job.
Recently, U.S. Immigration authorities conducted a major enforcement action at a Hyundai Motor battery factory under construction in Georgia, detaining a significant number of South Korean workers. The event marked one of the largest single-site actions in the history of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing work on what is one of the automaker’s most substantial investments in the U.S. to a halt.
Interestingly, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung recently praised Trump’s handling of foreign policy, expressing more trust in him than in other leaders for mediating peace between North and South Korea. During talks, he also mentioned ambitions for a Trump Tower in Korea and articulated concerns over North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities during Biden’s presidency.
