▲ Illegal immigrants wait outside a Home Depot store in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2025, amid reports on the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. (Yonhap)

S Korea-US immigration raids

S. Korea 'keeping an eye' on developments related to U.S. immigration raids: official

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is "keeping an eye" on developments related to the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants, a foreign ministry official said Monday, following reports of a South Korean national being arrested.

"We are monitoring related movements," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, referring to growing anxieties within Korean communities in the United States over immigration raids.

After U.S. President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, authorities launched a crackdown to block illegal immigration and promote border security.

Last week, the White House announced that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency, has arrested a South Korean national convicted of possession or controlling material depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct.

Even without any criminal convictions, those staying in the U.S. without legal permission can be subject to raids or deportation.

The Seoul official said the ministry was aware of the South Korean national's arrest and was "providing necessary consular assistance" to that individual.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]